


Double Down

by katypery



Category: Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (Cartoon), Sonic X, Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic), Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Afterglow, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Casual Sex, Character Study, Daydreaming, Gambling, M/M, Masturbation, Misunderstandings, Races & Chases, Rimming, Rivalry, Sexual freedom, This is what happens when you don't put the cards on the table, at first... you already know how this ends, one-night stand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:54:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29611785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katypery/pseuds/katypery
Summary: Smooth-talking is an essential skill in a man. On a lonely night out in Casinopolis, Shadow the Hedgehog is confronted with thinly-veiled camaraderie from an inconvenient ally, blindly agreeing to unwind and engage in forbidden pleasures.This story is for mature audiences. Please avoid reading it if you are under 18 years old. Mentions of canon-typical violence, alcohol consumption, smoking, explicit sexual acts and foul language.I do not own the characters in this story. Sonic and Shadow belong to the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, as well as other mentioned characters.© SEGA / Sonic the Hedgehog (1991–present)
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog & Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 34
Kudos: 42





	1. Foreplay

**Author's Note:**

> Aren’t you curious about how Sonic and Shadow ended up kind of together in my stories? Well, I have good news for you. Here’s the day it all began in meticulous detail. I was particularly excited to release this story, yet I decided to publish “Until Eternity” first so you could get ready for what’s to come. If you’ve read “Something in Between,” you already got a general idea on how things went after Shadow’s first night out in Casinopolis. Speaking of which, this work is dedicated to all casino-inspired Sonic stage lovers. Including myself.
> 
> This story is divided in two acts, as most of Sonic’s original stages in classic games. Act 1 is solely focused on Sonic and Shadow’s character motivations, as well as building up continuous sexual tension for the main event of this story. Act 2, on the other hand, is when the fun really begins, alongside some important character study paragraphs, so it’s considered the apex of this narrative. As the story progresses, notice that certain scenes have respective theme songs, which are implied or blatantly referred to among the unfolding events. Check the notes in the end of this work for all recommended titles and their timestamps.
> 
> “Double Down” takes place a few days after the events of Sonic Generations, meaning Sonic is written to be 20 years old. Once again, this story follows canon events and contains other media elements. It also can be read as a stand-alone story since it serves as a prequel to all my previous works.

**DOUBLE DOWN**  
_And a Race to Hit the Jackpot_

**ACT 1**  
_Foreplay_

Trumpets and bass strings echoed in one of the most popular casinos in a well-known urban district.

Casinopolis, its bright lights and greedy temptations inviting citizens and tourists to a night of gambling and dreamy pleasures. Shadow was aware of its reputation, being one of the many casinos he hadn’t been able to experience the joy of visiting before. It had been a while since he’d last gone to Casino Park, a cool city he’d stumbled upon with Team Dark a little after being released from a stasis capsule by his partner in crime, Rouge the Bat. 

Many months have passed since the cease of his _kind of_ fling with Rouge, now his best friend and confidant. Her similarities to Maria’s personality had been crucial to put an end to their somewhat open relationship, as if casual sex could be considered as such when two people lived together for multi-purpose reasons. They were co-workers – and Shadow had nowhere to go. Rouge’s apartment over Club Rouge had become their own little lair, not exactly evil but not virtuous either.

A place where a double-agent thief, a walking weapon of mass destruction and a violence-hungry robot lived could be considered a home, too. Whenever E-123 Omega was out on a solo mission, Shadow and Rouge would engage in sexual activities – for fun, in Rouge’s case, and biological necessity, as the half alien, half hedgehog would put it. They’d become good friends over the years, and despite knowing Rouge harbored a great fondness for him, Shadow didn’t let their sudden ceasefire ruin their already close relationship. In fact, their friendship had grown stronger as Rouge’s attempts to get a certain echidna’s attention had been resumed. 

Shadow was glad, because it gave him the freedom and confidence to explore his likes and needs. He had been with many other women since then. Two years of seeing the same cleavage was nothing compared to experiencing a woman a week, when he could try whatever he deemed good without strings attached.

Now he was in Casinopolis for a little bit of fun. As much as Shadow loved brooding somewhere in one of the public parks located in Westopolis and saving people in need at the last minute, he was in the mood for doing something other, like gambling. Of course, his main reason to attend an overly crowded casino was spending his free night between an attractive woman’s legs. However, Shadow was finding the act of throwing dices and playing with slot machines a very fun pastime.

The hedgehog had been gambling for the past hour, gaining the attention of onlookers and equally lucky patrons. He had gathered a lot of rings already, enough to get a nice prize in the vault. Many women had been crowding him, patting his shoulder and throwing compliments and flirtatious glances. As the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow had no doubt he would be the big winner of the night, if taking the amount of rings he’d gotten and interested rich girls surrounding him into consideration.

Smirking, Shadow looked around him, seeing smiley faces and clapping patrons after another jackpot he had hit. Alongside the many beautiful women, Shadow noticed the place was indeed wonderful and totally entrancing. In the middle of the gigantic casino stood a golden Sonic the Hedgehog statue, seemingly fragile as it was made of possibly fake golden rings. It contrasted with the rustic inclusion of a large mechanical lion’s head and decorative pirate ships, giving a savage impression on the second floor. Shadow thought the hero’s statue was amusing, especially how it looked like the casino’s main attraction, if excusing the pinball machines and large shower room. It seemed like the statue had been looking over him, wishing him good fortune on his futile achievements.

Shadow realized the last time he had been to a crowded place willingly was in Sonic’s excuse of a surprise birthday party, where he had mysteriously dropped off. It wasn’t much, only a few acquaintances had attended his blue counterpart’s little get-together, prepared by Tails, Knuckles and Amy, with the helpful hand of his friend Rouge and others. Still, Shadow had never been fond of parties and other events in the company of people he didn’t exactly _like_.

Sure, he’d helped Sonic’s friends quite a lot, although he hadn’t really stayed there for show. The black and red hedgehog was honest, fighting against all misconceptions about his nature, which meant he had stayed because he felt like it was the right thing to do. Sonic had saved the world plenty of times, even on a special occasion like his 20th birthday, so the least he could do was show him some respect by making his presence known in his impromptu outdoor party, regardless if he had been invited or not.

The agent owed him at least a few minutes of his time. Sonic had managed to fix time and space, and it had been impressive by Shadow’s high standards, even though he had a little help from his past self, a mute little chubby hedgehog. Shadow knew he could do it, _both_ of them could, so staying at the party had been crucial to reveal his appreciation and sincere gratitude. Besides, there was free food, and the black and red hedgehog had been quite hungry after losing a race to his rival on a somehow brilliant road in space that looked strangely familiar.

On the other side of the casino, in the elegant bar decorated with an enormous neon cowgirl sign on the floor above, over one of the many shelves filled with differently colored bottles, a blue hedgehog stood resting a forearm on the counter, unaware of the continuous round of applause a certain hedgehog had been receiving at that moment.

Sonic the Hedgehog. Looking for sex, no matter with who.

It was a mobians’ night. Humans weren’t allowed in due to an unspoken law about not engaging in any kind of sexual encounters with non-human species, subtly deeming mobians irrational and incapable of consenting. Sonic thought it was disgusting and based on pure prejudice, as mobians were rational anthropomorphic beings, capable of making their own decisions. He sipped his drink and recalled some of his experiences with humans, thinking about how Madonna and Princess Elise of Soleanna had been very nice women to have _fun_ with.

At that exact second, he had been talking to a pink cat with a sparkly purple dress, high heels granting her a few inches taller than the short hedgehog. It wasn’t a problem, though, Sonic had always liked tall women. She was fascinating too; talking about many different subjects, reciting some of his best heroic acts from memory alone. Sonic loved being praised and recognized by his awesomeness and power. Genuine compliments were always welcomed.

He had paid her a drink too, humoring the girl. Sonic thought she was quite fine, physically speaking. And then, after a few more minutes of small talk and the hero’s indulging catchphrases, they started making out. Innocently, of course, as a respectful couple would. When they parted, Sonic’s green eyes scanned the casino, watching movement and crowded slot machines. He took a look at the bright pinball machines as well, internally wanting to test his luck, no matter if they took him straight to the garbage dump. 

Sonic noticed how some patrons, women and men alike, were gathering around a lucky stranger, whose odds were obviously in their favor that night. Sonic smirked, wishing whoever they were good luck, as they seemed to get more and more rings from throwing dices and pulling slot machine handles. As soon as a bunny with comically large boobs got out of his line of sight to finally grant him a glimpse of the assumed fortunate person, the blue hedgehog’s jaw dropped.

Shadow the Hedgehog. His fastest and most dangerous rival.

It looked like his weird friend was more than just the Ultimate Lifeform; he was a lucky bastard too. Shadow was surrounded by women, all of them young, crazy rich bombshells. Sonic frowned, not really seeing that one coming. He was particularly intrigued to see Shadow on a place like that, noting his usual avoidance of crowded places and overfriendly strangers. The black and red hedgehog was smirking and winking at some of them like the show-off he was.

Sonic couldn’t imagine he was a player, or at least seemed like one. Regardless of his cold demeanor and uttered sharp remarks, Shadow had quite a lot of fans. Women _loved_ bad guys, after all. Sonic thought Shadow didn’t realize he was popular, perhaps not really caring about fitting into a bland stereotype. His rival had always been a respectful person when not annoyed, valuing his image and reputation – being it good or bad.

Sonic was almost sure he had gotten Rouge into bed at some point, or the other way around like it must have been the case. As a man, the blue hedgehog knew the struggles of declining Rouge’s advances, considering she was super-hot and interesting. He himself had gotten a taste of her, even if in a particularly mourning situation. Besides, it was a surprise to know Shadow indeed engaged in carnal pleasures, given how he seemed to be well acquainted with flirting techniques – judging by the fact he’d been sharing his roof with a bat who always got what she wanted in one way or another. 

His cat companion had moved to kiss him again, and Sonic let her, kissing her back with one eye open.

Rouge had probably gotten a little _garnet_ to her gemstone collection. Sonic couldn’t lie: Shadow was attractive. And being into men, the blue hedgehog knew his rival would be seen highly by other guys too, taking his own appearance into account. They were pretty similar, despite a few differences here and there. Moreover, Sonic had witnessed Shadow flipping trucks with one hand, which was quite impressive and a little taunting. His dark rival was definitely stronger than any other men he knew, save for his good friend Knuckles.

Something must have shown in his body language, because the pink cat had stopped kissing him and moved her gaze to his blank face. He refocused his eyes on her and smirked, being forgiven for his lingering thoughts instantly. The feline had said something Sonic didn’t hear clearly, because his senses were clouded by a new image presenting itself right in front of his eyes.

Shadow was bending over to throw his dices farther, and Sonic felt his head tilt on its own, eyes accompanying every move of his ass.

Feeling neglected, his cat friend asked him to go to a place quieter, suggesting one of the shower room’s stalls. 

“Not sure I have the time,” always having a one-liner ready, Sonic replied sarcastically, trying to diverge the cat’s attention from him, emerald irises still glued on his dark counterpart.

It had seemed to work, given how she huffed air through her nostrils and walked away, drink in hand. Sonic took a sip of his own, gaze focused on the man of the hour. Even though Shadow’s physique was the same as his, he thought the other had a rather nice booty, tilting his head again to get another glimpse. Differences apart, Sonic wouldn’t mind eating that ass if given the high opportunity. He wondered if his rival was as big as him, daydreaming about sucking his dick as a hoarse voice moaned his world-known name.

Shadow moved again, throwing dices as his butt went up, Sonic following its movements with prying eyes and another tilt of his head. As if on cue, the pleasant crescendo of the background music went back to its previous bass sound, making the moment feel rather sensual as its dreamy stage came back to life.

‘Oh yeah, boy,’ he mentally praised and raised his glass of champagne to his lips. What a fucking view.

It was a shame Shadow was assumedly straight.

Thirst apart, Sonic wasn’t opposed to the idea of becoming friends with Shadow. _Actual_ friends, not acquaintances or allies by necessity. The thing was, Sonic wasn’t a guy to usually press on and make a scene, he would rather approach Shadow on friendly terms, preferably after a well-deserved victory.

Sonic’s favorite memory overall was the one when he had defeated the Biolizard from destroying the planet and its habitants with the help of his friends. Coincidentally, it had also been when he first met Shadow. Even if their first meeting had been intensely troubled, their last race had changed something in their previously lethal rivalry. Shadow had become one of the good guys, helping take out the ugly prototype as soon as his repressed memories came flooding back. He gave the world a chance, as expected from him by a sweet blonde girl, assisting Shadow recover his true purpose by denying the bad fate that awaited him.

After his presumably death, Shadow came back, memories long forgotten due to his fall or Eggman’s digging. His sassy yet closed off personality returned, but it seemed like he had some trouble remembering latest events and his complicated, buried past. It took him an alien invasion to find his purpose again, and being there by his side, Sonic couldn’t be prouder of him.

Truth was, Sonic was curious about Shadow. It wasn’t every day he met a guy who looked strangely like him who could also break the sound barrier and keep up with his speed and strength, rivaling him in many aspects. Someone the hero could really challenge without already knowing the final result, who pushed him harder than anyone else could. No wonder he wanted to be friends with Shadow. Dude was amazing in so many ways, and would always come up with another trait to leave him thrilled.

Shadow’s head turned to the bar’s direction, his cocky smirk gradually fading. Nevertheless, Sonic made direct eye contact with him, winking and raising his glass of champagne as a greeting. A toast to a beautiful and ever-growing friendship, even if it seemed one-sided.

Out of all the places Sonic could have chosen to be that night, he had to pick the same one as Shadow.

The agent wouldn’t normally approach the blue hedgehog like he was currently doing now. Something had told Shadow to go, as one name came to his mind like a forbidden spell: _Sonic_. He had no idea how it was possible to think of so many insults to call his nemesis by in so little time after a single gesture from the so-called hero. It was that attitude, as if he knew something he didn’t. The way he winked at him, raising a glass of champagne mockingly. It felt like a threat in every sense of the word, begging him to come closer and deal with it straight away. And so, he did, pausing his gambling to give Sonic a piece of his mind without a second thought.

They weren’t friends, but they weren’t enemies either. It was something in the middle, something uncanny and exhaustive, despite the respect they held for each other.

The blue nuisance had turned his back to him, gesturing to a bartender to get another glass. The mobian dog had filled it up with the same awful champagne Sonic was having and left it on the counter. Before Shadow could say a word, Sonic handed him a full glass, expression relaxed as if he was just seeing an old friend, which wasn’t the case since Shadow looked rather _unpleased_ to be in his presence to begin with.

“Hey. Saw you hitting the jackpot back there. Want a drink? I’m paying,” Sonic offered a kind smile, breaking the ice as he removed his fingers from the glass, already secured in Shadow’s grasp.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Shadow asked, giving a tiny sip to his drink. Astoundingly, the champagne didn’t taste as bad as he thought.

“Same as you, man,” Sonic answered without giving much away.

“Cheating on your girlfriend?” the agent teased, looking into his eyes as he raised his recently filled champagne glass to his lips again, a palm now resting on the counter. He expected Sonic to get flustered like he always did whenever someone considered the pink hedgehog his lover.

Except that this time, he surprisingly didn’t.

“Pfft. Nah, I’m single,” Sonic stated confidently, with half-lidded eyes and a smirk, before giving a sip of his own beverage. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just looking for a girl to call _mine_.”

“Mhm,” Shadow acknowledged, his attempt of inciting a negative reaction from the goody two-shoes hero frustrated. It seemed like they were on the same boat. Looking for a one-night stand to spice things up.

Sonic rested his elbows on the counter, back pressed against the engraved golden bar. Shadow noticed emerald green irises watching the movement, eyeing multiple women and men passing by under the dim lights of the gambling house, before they shifted back to his figure, a toothy grin failing to hide Sonic’s upcoming sassy comeback.

“Now you… does _your_ girl know you’re here?” Sonic drank his champagne, piercing eyes locked with Shadow’s.

“What I do is none of her business. And she’s not my girl,” Shadow harshly replied, not caring about keeping his tone friendly. He wasn’t lying, though. Rouge wasn’t his girl as Amy supposedly wasn’t Sonic’s either.

“Wow, dude. Cheating on a woman like Rouge is low,” Sonic chuckled, sarcastically.

“We’ve never been together in the first place,” the black and red hedgehog added, unconsciously handing his ally information about his personal and sexual life.

“A shame. She’s a cool girl,” the hero sounded almost disappointed if it wasn’t for the slight chuckle leaving his mouth by the end of his sentence.

“You don’t know her, hedgehog,” Shadow glared at him, narrowing his eyes.

“Yeah,” Sonic snorted, recalling his pitiful one-night stand with the bat. He didn’t know her, just her body. “I don’t.”

Silence. The two hedgehogs looked around in the direction of the pinball machines, ripping bets out from experienced gamblers and newcomers. Shadow stole a glance at Sonic afterwards, realizing the blue hero had been awfully quiet, as if waiting for him to start small talk. Watching closely, the agent realized he’d never seen Sonic drinking alcoholic beverages before, let alone frequenting places like Casinopolis, where humans and mobians tried their luck in games of cards and love. In fact, Shadow didn’t know much about his annoying counterpart, actually desiring to strike up a conversation to gather information that could be perhaps useful in the future. Even for trivial, non-threatening reasons.

“I never thought I’d see you on a place like this,” Shadow started smoothly.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” the blue hedgehog turned his head to regard him, easily giving Shadow his attention.

Shadow waited. Until Sonic took the bait, unwrapping facts and trivia about his self-considered _interesting_ lifestyle. The hero started superficially, talking about some of his past adventures with friends, including the first time he had visited Casinopolis after Chaos, a god-like entity that served as the guardian of Chao, was released by the Doctor from its imprisonment in the Master Emerald. Sonic kept things general, not exactly diving into much detail as he probably knew Shadow would like, being calculated as he was.

Enjoying their pleasant conversation, Shadow got another drink for himself. Sonic started rambling about other topics, asking for his dark counterpart’s input on some things that could’ve been done differently. Shadow humored him, giving his truthful opinion on the way Sonic handled the Doctor’s intergalactic amusement park fiasco, as he remembered witnessing him and Tails stepping into enemy territory. If they weren’t careful, one single misstep could culminate in destruction given there were multiple planets at stake. Safety always came first, and seeing the heroes risking their lives in space had left him unsettled for some reason. With that in mind, Shadow paid Sonic another drink, their previous conversation gradually fading to matters they normally wouldn’t address in ordinary days.

A typical gentlemen’s conversation. Women and sex.

Despite not being a player like the media used to paint him as, Sonic had quite a lot of sexual adventures throughout his few years of adulthood. Shadow noticed how the blue hedgehog never liked messing with women’s hearts, differently from what his green counterpart would do in cold blood, always making his intentions clear when he wanted sex and nothing else. Unlike Shadow’s previous assumptions, the hero had never been Amy’s boyfriend, but he did hold some tenderness towards her.

As Sonic was recounting the events of the day when he missed his date with Amy, Shadow felt extremely unnerved upon hearing his rival mention a knight who looked exactly like him, wearing metal armor and proclaiming his blind loyalty to Sonic, who was nothing but a traveler. The agent thought the guy was rather suspicious and untrustworthy, as he would never do such thing himself.

Needless to say, Sonic decided to keep his sentiment for Amy on a friendship basis, since he didn’t want to break her heart as she would definitely expect a serious relationship and undivided attention from him. The blue hedgehog told his look-alike he was free like the wind and couldn’t be tamed, since he was born to _run_. He would never stay in one place for too long, and that also extended to his romantic relationships.

There was sincerity in his speech when Sonic elaborated on his reasons to why his engagement with Sally Acorn ended with both lovers parting ways. Love was never an option when his lifestyle demanded so much from him; his strong value of freedom another obstacle. Sonic spoke about his past and short-lived relationships with pop star Mina Mongoose and the cunning Fiona Fox, as well as other women he had the pleasure to meet in the last few years. Indulging in the conversation, Shadow shared some experiences of his own, keeping his fling with Rouge to a bare minimum. The black and red hedgehog had to be privative about his doings with a woman Sonic was well acquainted with, as to protect his best friend’s already stained reputation.

Instead, Shadow decided to tell in detail a tale when he had jumped off a window from the thirteenth floor of a residential building, after his night with a supposedly well-married woman turned into a mess when her husband caught them in bed. He remembered having a good laugh at the comical situation afterwards, and that alone incited a positive reaction from Sonic, who kept laughing with eyes pressed shut, tears almost falling down. Shadow felt himself genuinely smiling for the first time that night.

A lighthearted conversation with another guy was indeed something he was starting to enjoy. Considering Omega wasn’t an organic being, Shadow tended to discuss his sexual life with Rouge alone, so Sonic turning out to be a good listener had been a nice surprise for him. The usually talkative hero heard each sexual tale from his mouth without voicing a word of his own, lime green eyes intensely following his mannerisms.

It was good. It made him feel valuable and kind of important, too. Shadow noticed he and Sonic shared similar views on romance and how it was impossible for both of them. He quickly pondered if they would have the same end as most heroes had in circumstances like theirs, fighting against a greater evil and making the world a better place.

Two hedgehogs tied to the same fate of saving the world and dying alone. Yet, Shadow was immortal. Perhaps they could join forces in the meanwhile to make things interesting.

Sonic concluded his rival was more than a grumpy hedgehog. He was awfully _charming_. Good listener, good company. Liked rough and casual sex. Perfect in every way, as only the Ultimate Lifeform could be. The blue hedgehog listened to his rival’s telltales with a gloved thumb between his lips and an elbow resting on the counter, free hand holding the base of his now empty glass of champagne. They’d been having one drink after another as their conversation blossomed into one two _friends_ could be easily having, despite not really being the case.

Moreover, Sonic wasn’t just listening. He was studying Shadow’s every move carefully too. Gleaming white fangs showed he was in the right path; each facial expression being processed by the hero’s bright green orbs, finding signs of enjoyment. Of ease and trust. The blue hedgehog was succeeding on his attempt of becoming friends with his biggest rival, and possibly getting close to his actual main goal for the night: a bedmate. Shadow was probably oblivious, as a good straight guy would be, not exactly realizing Sonic’s intentions. Of course, his most cherished one was leaving that casino with Shadow as a friend. However, things had gone impressively well, so he thought his plan B was actually coming to fruition sooner than expected.

Drink after drink, Sonic remained coddling Shadow in their conversation. Praising his perspicacity, throwing hints on how highly Shadow was seen by him and his friends, as well as everyone he had ever interacted with on friendly terms, and of course, feeding his ego. Sonic wondered if a smooth-talker would recognize another. Gratefully the hero had his answer, settling that Shadow wouldn’t unless he knew he was the target.

Shadow kept feeling himself whenever Sonic complimented him, genuinely seeing him as the best. The one and only Ultimate Lifeform. A thin, almost invisible line separated the blue hedgehog’s camaraderie from veiled sexual interest. It had been easy; giving and taking, all he needed to do was share a personal experience for his companion to share something of his own in return. And he liked it. He liked entertaining Shadow, and he was getting really entertained by his bad jokes and funny sexual experiences too.

He wondered if Shadow knew what he was doing to him, because Sonic certainly felt sold under those glinting red eyes.

Seeing that their enhanced bodies were able to sustain overly high doses of alcohol, Sonic wasn’t worried about any of them getting tipsy, as it was basically impossible from champagne alone. With that thought in mind, the blue hedgehog decided to have a little fun with his rival. He placed his once again empty glass on the counter and suggested gambling, subtly challenging Shadow to place some bets using the rings he had gathered from the slot machines and the so feared roulette.

“Wanna try the pinball machines?” Sonic asked, receiving a nod and a glint of amber-ish red eyes.

Sonic and Shadow decided to work together, each taking a turn on the Card & Pinball game to collect and match as many picture cards as possible in the glittery purple arena. Sonic, while in a spin attack stance, scored plenty of rings, not even once falling down the drain. Shadow, on the other hand, lost one of his turns, falling straight to the hole as Sonic took his next turn for himself. Fortunately, the black and red hedgehog finished his last turn with a little over a hundred rings, dropping off in front of the vault instead of ending up in the sewers. The agent had considered the NiGHTS Pinball game a waste of time anyway, so he moved to another game, Sonic following suit after depositing his earned rings in the vault.

The next pinball machine had the hero’s face stamped all over, its arena decorated with Sonic’s trademark colors: cobalt blue, golden yellow and bloody red. Its regular pinball game was easier for Shadow to get used to, using the flippers constantly until he finally got the upper hand. Again, they took turns on the 777 Slots Pinball game, actually getting more rings than in the previous arena composed by two different playfields. Losing one round, Sonic had been surpassed by Shadow, who spun in the central slot machine scoring a row of T-Kickback, its formation granting him some rings and another chance as the void between the white flippers was blocked for a few seconds.

More rings to Shadow’s collection. As the two speedy hedgehogs dropped their rings in the vault, smiling as they did so, the prize showed itself: a fake yellow emerald. Shadow decided to hand it over to Sonic, as the other had been the one to invite him to gamble, helping him get more rings than when he played alone in the first time. The blue hedgehog accepted the prize cheerfully, keeping his eyes on him for longer than necessary. Shadow decided to mind his business, heading over to the bar once again in an attempt to find _actual_ company and retire for the night.

Sonic followed him, ordering another drink for both of them as they kept their gaze forward, red and green irises scanning the girls passing by. The hero realized Shadow was carefully searching for a hookup, thus he began to use this fact to his advantage. Sonic’s tone had been gently persuasive that night, so no wonder he would be successful in obtaining some _specific_ information from his handsome rival. After all, Sonic the Hedgehog always got what he wanted, even if it took him longer than intended.

Upon laying his eyes on a hot blonde squirrel wearing a tight red latex dress and black high heels, showing off her voluptuous hidden assets, Sonic put his fast thought-out plan into action. A little intimate chit-chat between two single guys wouldn’t hurt.

“How would you fuck her?” Sonic asked Shadow, who had his back resting against the golden counter in the same manner as him, although their bodies were slightly turned to the side, ribs touching the edge of the table as their eyes accompanied the movement of good-looking patrons among the jumpy slot machines.

Shadow followed Sonic’s index finger secretly pointing at the mentioned girl while his other fingers held the almost empty champagne glass to his torso. Adjusting his line of sight to match her tall figure, the black and red hedgehog pondered for a second, taking a good look at the woman’s physique and letting his gaze linger on her boobs and ass, lacking discretion. When Shadow came up with a conclusion, he replied nonchalantly.

“Face down,” he took a sip of his drink before continuing, eyes still glued on his target. “From the back.”

Sonic snorted, approaching Shadow slowly. They were pretty close for the agent’s liking. Shadow could smell his body spray, its strong citric scent numbing his senses. It was nice, so the hedgehog decided against saying anything, consciously enjoying his rival’s perfume. If dismissing Shadow’s relaxed posture against the low bar, it looked like Sonic was a little taller than him. With his gaze fixed on the woman, he heard Sonic comment on his choice.

“Impersonal,” Sonic pointed out, bringing his glass to his lips once again. As soon as he swallowed the liquid, he resumed his inquiring. “Anal?”

Shadow nodded, even if Sonic couldn’t properly see his head moving. He didn’t know why that single fact was so important to Sonic, let alone why he wanted to make sure it would be specifically _from the back_ , but he was glad to answer. Glad to let him know it was well-known territory to him. Shadow had had anal sex plenty of times with Rouge and other willing girls. Preparation was key and it took some time, and Shadow was more than glad to spend as much time on it as he could.

Not really wanting to let the amusing subject die, Shadow demonstrated a little bit of interest on his rival’s curious conversation topic.

“You?” he asked, receiving a sideways glance from his blue counterpart. Even if he was just playing nice, Shadow wouldn’t lie he was a little curious about what Sonic’s favorite sex positions could be.

“Face up. Looking into her eyes,” Sonic replied promptly, voice lowering as he got even closer to Shadow, almost pressing his chest on the other’s back quills. His warm breath seemed to tickle his rival’s sensitive ear once his mouth spoke into it over the current song playing, its beat revving up the previous slow bass of the main background music. “And watching her cum.”

He had planted the seed. Now he would watch it grow.

Shadow may be immune to all diseases known to mankind, but he wasn’t immune to Sonic’s captivating words and dubious remarks. When that last word came from the blue hedgehog’s mouth, Shadow involuntarily shivered and allowed himself to imagine. Although his semi-permanent frown hadn’t betrayed him, his champagne glass had stopped right in front of his slightly open mouth, its edge touching his lower lip. Hearing the inviting bass from the song, Shadow let his thoughts flow, his mind constructing a scenario that could easily become a popular porn movie in questionable websites, starring the _Blue Blur_ himself.

The agent wasn’t really seeing anything else except for a cheap motel room and a sweaty blue body constantly thrusting into a blonde squirrel with her tight latex dress pulled to her waist. Covered big boobs moved with every rock of the hedgehog’s hips, the pale full moon their only link to the outside world. Both bodies shifted in synchrony as the bed cracked underneath them, whimpers and moans being heard in the dark.

_I’d wash the sand off the shore  
Give you the world if it was mine  
Blow you right to my door  
Feels fine_

The black and red hedgehog could clearly see his rival in the picture: firm peach chest glinting with sweat, slicked back blue quills slightly disheveled, strong hips moving back and forth as his body exhaled a heavy scent of musk mixed with citric perfume. Shadow focused his attention on half-lidded emerald green orbs watching the woman under him crying out, looking into her eyes before they fluttered shut in pleasure. Sonic’s mouth sat open as he pounded into the attractive stranger, letting out deep groans, very different from his usual annoying tone of voice.

Shadow let himself get lost in the sound and ambience, seeing the exact moment the woman came as Sonic fucked her continuously until he reached his well-deserved orgasm. As soon as the blue hero pulled out, cock barely visible in his sketchy imagination, Shadow’s vision tried to focus on his dick and balls. Lacking knowledge on how his rival’s member actually looked like, he projected his own length onto Sonic, imagining his cum dripping from the tip of his cock as its erection gradually faded. It felt extremely arousing. Shadow’s mind barely registered the woman’s vagina in the scene. He hastily pondered it was shaved like Rouge’s, not really putting much thought onto it as it was meaningless.

_You’re mine_ , he could hear the lyrics of the background music being uttered in Sonic’s voice.

_Like paradise_

Shadow licked his lips and drank the last drops of his suddenly warm champagne, before voicing his opinion on the hero’s nice choice in position.

“Interesting,” was all he said.

“She wouldn’t be my first option, though,” Sonic stated, leaving his empty glass on the counter and motioning for the bartender to bring their bill.

“Who would it be?” Shadow raised his beverage to his lips, failing to realize how dry his mouth had gotten. Unfortunately, his glass was already empty too, so he placed it on the counter beside Sonic’s.

“I dunno,” Sonic walked past him after paying for their drinks, looking suspiciously relaxed. “Guess I’m in the mood for a race,” he turned back and glanced at Shadow with an amused expression, raising an eye ridge. “C’mon! You wouldn’t leave me _hanging_ , would ya?”

He wouldn’t.

Shadow had lost their previous race shamefully, so he wouldn’t let it happen again even if he wanted to. Besides, he noticed how Sonic emphasized the word ‘hanging.’ Even though it was meant to rile him up, he couldn’t help but take it as an invitation to humor him some more, despite it sounding blatantly dubious in a way.

Sonic walked towards the casino’s backdoor exit, the double doors heading to a road linking Station Square to the far bright city of Casino Night Zone. The hero kept his gloved hands behind his head quills in a laid-back manner as he left the place. Shadow followed suit after eyeing the casino one last time, pondering if he should come back later. He had gone to Casinopolis with a goal in mind. However, the hedgehog decided it wasn’t the right moment to think about it.

Because now he had a new goal. A race to win.

The stars shone brightly in the black night sky, its darkness interrupted by faraway neon blue skyscrapers contrasting with the funky lights of the opulent city of Casino Night Zone, its architecture designed in pure gold, cobalt blue stripes and red floor lines. Two colorful blurs trespassed the open yet claustrophobic engraved walls, leaving traces of blue and yellow and a faint trail of dust behind.

Gleaming palm trees in green and orange outlines illuminated Sonic’s face, his cocky grin making an appearance as he boosted forward across the spinning panels revealing his and Tails’ faces among stars and moons in the adorned golden walls. Following a well-known path, Sonic remembered the last time he had been there with his sidekick, recalling his li’l bro’s adorable reaction upon seeing the bright neon decorations for the first time.

A fair race. All they could use was their speed and strategy in enemy territory. No Chaos powers, no spin attacks, let alone dirty tricks. Sonic ran through a pink conveyor belt, its opposite moving point slowing him down as his company for the night sped past him, jumping straight in the direction of a red bumper furnished with a white star in the middle, taking him to the outskirts of the golden city into the endless skyline. High enough to land on a slot machine, Shadow curled into a ball to recover the lost rings he had deposited in the casino’s vault alongside the blue hedgehog moments prior.

Sonic dodged silver spikes rising purposefully on his way, jumping on a treacherous blue block that could easily crush him if he wasn’t careful. The block helped taking him up to higher routes so he could bump onto the white and green flippers. The additional impulse took Sonic higher, easily catching up with his rival who kept moving forward, running through shuttle loops and winding tunnels until he dropped in a red spring catapult that boosted him rapidly to the next level. The hero sped towards a trail of golden rings till he landed on a narrow corridor, Shadow following suit. Just in time they ran neck to neck to their destination, Sonic gave Shadow a sideways glance and grinned, winking in the process to tease his opponent.

“What is it? Can’t keep up?” Sonic asked before speeding past him.

Shadow bared his teeth, blood boiling as Sonic mocked his failed attempt of surpassing him by his choice of route. However, the blue hedgehog wasn’t aware of the power that wink held over him, the close proximity and loud sound of the harsh wind as they broke the sound barrier increasing Shadow’s body temperature both in rage and something else entirely.

It took a glance for Shadow to forget Casinopolis, as he realized he was in much better company.

Reaching the elevator, both hedgehogs shove themselves inside the narrow section, squeezing their bodies over the neon blue floating platform between thick golden walls, assisting them to go up and towards the open field that headed to the neighbor city of Casino Street Zone. Sonic and Shadow could feel their overheated bodies sweating, chests pressed close as the elevator went up. They were both panting into each other’s mouths, warm breaths being released in the hot narrow path.

Exhaustion took over, as the unexpected gimmicks of the casino-styled city became tougher than they imagined, especially when they had encountered some lost crawls armed with pincers and bumper shields on the way. Face to face, Sonic locked his half-lidded green eyes with Shadow’s, a toothy grin making itself visible when the hero taunted his rival expecting a funny reaction. Instead, all he got was Shadow’s gaze dropping to his mouth, red eyes quickly raising from his white teeth to his irises, holding eye contact intensely.

Shadow smirked, and Sonic’s grin only widened in response.

When the elevator stopped, both hedgehogs sped through the corridor that led to three golden rails, linking Casino Night Zone to the entrance of Casino Street Zone, its district closer to the previous faraway buildings, now visible in excruciating detail with their colored neon lights and large spotlights that made the city look livelier, as if it never slept. Running forward to the neon city adrift in the night, Sonic and Shadow jumped at the same time to go down the rails, each taking a spot in the farthest side leaving the middle rail untouched.

As sparks flew due to the intensity of their shoes scratching metal in full speed, red and blue fireworks exploded among the stars in the night sky above the city, the loud sound muffling their heartbeats when they dodged obstacles going down. Sonic stole a glance at Shadow, who looked very determined to win their race by any means necessary.

“You’re too slow!” he shouted as he boosted forward, hearing Shadow growl and curse in the distance.

The hero smiled fondly, his mind developing a scenario where he and Shadow were running away together instead. Away from the crowds and their conflicted reality.

Once their feet touched the red carpet of the golden city of Casino Street Zone, the hedgehogs boosted side by side, passing tall golden columns with brilliant and colorful gemstones attached in the middle. Dodging pinball machines and hot-air balloons on the way, Sonic and Shadow followed the card road testing their fortune as shining neon lights filled the streets, inviting its visitants to try their luck for a change. The fun parks and city fairs were forgotten underneath the heroes when the endless card road took them to a clearing where colorful buildings such as gambling houses and motels could be recognized by their yellow and red signs in the dashing location.

Getting close to the finish line, Sonic grinned and looked back at Shadow, who was closing the distance between them considerably. Before Sonic could refocus his gaze on the road ahead, his feet were swept off the ground once an unknown foe hurled him by a single hit. Sonic just knew something would happen to screw up his gratifying night with Shadow, being aware of how Eggman loved ruining his mood. Falling face down on the asphalt, cursing everyone and everything, Sonic heard the familiar noises of a heavy and destructive machine.

A huge Eggman robot, wandering about Casino Street Zone randomly. So typical.

“What the–?” Shadow started, before stopping in front of the robot, which stood between the two hedgehogs with its back turned to the agent.

The robot swiftly moved its mechanical red body to attack Shadow, sharp silver claws trying to pierce the dark hero in the chest. However, Shadow warped away easily, reappearing behind the robot enemy’s head to land solid blows using his rocket shoes. The annoying badnik didn’t seem to move. Instead, it simply shot a blue laser at Shadow, who went flying with a grunt.

Upon hearing his rival’s pained sound, Sonic recovered quickly and took his place in the fight, homing and spin attacks doing nothing to stop the enhanced machine from ambushing Shadow. Sonic bared his teeth and ran around the robot in high speed, creating a blue tornado to stun the robot temporarily. It seemed to work, until it outstretched one of its limbs to send Sonic flying away like his dark counterpart had done.

The hero landed badly this time, not having enough time to recover like before. A gloved hand went to his head as he tried to sit down, legs wide open while another hand helped straighten his posture from behind. When his eyes came back into focus, the blue blur saw the robot running in his direction until it stopped right in front of his figure and raised its gigantic foot, about to crush and turn him into jelly. He knew he wouldn’t exactly _die_ , but the stomp would be certainly painful and super inconvenient. Besides, his carefully collected rings would be gone in a second. Sonic clenched his teeth, closed his eyes and raised an arm to protect his face, bracing for the impact.

Except that the impact never came.

The blue hedgehog opened his eyes, blinking a little, and saw a black and red body shielding him, Shadow’s right hand holding the robot’s big foot over their heads like it weighted nothing. Sonic’s gaze moved to the glowing left hand very close to his blue leg, its green-ish yellow sparks presenting a well-known energy that was coursing through his rival’s palm, which closed around a very dangerous energy spear.

“Chaos…”

The charging of the upcoming attack felt even more threatening than the robot trying to crush them both, its moving foot being embarrassingly stopped by Shadow’s unnatural strength. Sonic couldn’t blink, fur standing on end upon hearing that husky voice. He was feeling way too entertained by the show his rival was putting, even if he hadn’t moved an inch yet. The spear in Shadow’s grasp sparkled furiously and grew in length, almost touching the side of Sonic’s unmoving head.

‘Damn,’ Sonic mentally commented, eyes casted forward, before hearing a very familiar shout.

“Spear!”

Shadow threw the Chaos Spear aiming directly at the robot’s supposed core, destroying its torso immediately by leaving an enormous hole in its mid-section. Metal shards went flying as the gigantic robot fell like a bag of potatoes, disturbing the brilliant asphalt, now dirty with debris and aches. Sonic couldn’t look away. He didn’t know if he stared at the wrecked robot or at Shadow, whose tail was right in front of his line of sight. He chose the second option.

“You okay, Sonic?” Shadow turned to face said hedgehog, his expression unreadable. He presented a hand to help him up.

Sonic blinked before answering, chuckling a little. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for the save, I owe you one,” he grabbed his rival’s hand and stood up. “Eggman really had to ruin our race. Let’s call it a tie, then?” the hero outstretched his palm for a handshake.

“A tie,” Shadow nodded and took his hand, shaking it firmly.

Sonic looked around them with his hands on his hips, glinting eyes scanning the casinos and motels surrounding them. Shadow crossed his arms over his chest and turned to the fallen robot, trying to guess where it came from.

Once Sonic laid his eyes on a particularly luxurious motel behind them, he had an idea.

“So, wanna take a shower before heading back?” he spoke, getting Shadow’s attention.

“There’s a shower room in Casinopolis,” Shadow turned to face him, raising an eye ridge in the process. He uncrossed his arms and placed a hand on his waist.

“Heh, I know. But it’s a bit _crowded_ in there, you know what I mean?” Sonic raised a fist to his mouth and moved it back and forth while one of his cheeks puffed, trying to get his point across.

Shadow understood the gesture and snorted, shaking his head slightly. Sonic grinned and motioned for the agent to follow him as he headed to said motel. Shadow followed him wordlessly, finding the situation very compromising yet truly exciting. He didn’t mind entering a motel alongside his rival, even if they were seen as secret lovers, which wasn’t the case. Besides, he really needed a shower for what he had in mind.

Sonic had paid for an overnight stay instead of booking a room for just an hour or so. Shadow hadn’t notice, or perhaps didn’t care to ask him why, considering he had been with his back turned to the receptionist at all times, arms crossed over his chest with fingers gently tapping against his upper arm. The hero thought it was fitting, since Shadow liked keeping things on the down low. No one needed to know what they were doing past midnight at a motel. Besides, Shadow looked a little too edgy to be mistaken for a lovesick guy if taking his usual frown into consideration, so they probably would pass as junkies anyway.

On the way to their room to finally take a shower after the sudden commotion, Sonic kept pondering how he would ask Shadow if he was into men. The black and red hedgehog had been secretive all night and it was making Sonic uncomfortable, because he didn’t know if Shadow had been acting friendly or blatantly accepting his _obvious_ advances. Perhaps not too obvious, whereas some of the sexual experiences he had recounted to Shadow had happened with _men_ , yet he chose to refer to them as women to match his friend’s assumed sexuality. He didn’t know if it had been a good idea, though. Probably not.

At first Sonic had thought Shadow was indeed straight, but the guy had been a mystery throughout the whole night. He was in doubt, to say the least. Shadow seemed curious about him, about his favorite sex positions, which was a good start. Even so, his rival wouldn’t say anything to make it easier for him. Not even drop a hint of interest to take things further. Maybe Shadow didn’t realize he was hitting on him and just thought they were having a trivial conversation. Sonic noticed it would be better if he asked him right away once they reached their room, before taking a shower to head back or, if he got lucky, simply stay the night.

The room was _awesome_ , and Sonic was glad he chose a suite. Even if he wasn’t a hundred percent sure they would put its bed to use, it was still very nice to look at. Its decoration and furniture were mostly in burgundy and dark colors. The bed was big and its sheets were dark purple, the satin surface contrasting with the city’s colorful neon lights visible from the large open windows, their glow barely concealed by the dark curtains batting slightly. 

Shadow took a brief look at the room, feeling a little wary, so he decided against commenting on anything. He needed to take a shower first. Therefore, he walked to the bathroom’s door and switched the lights on. Dim lights faintly illuminated the spacious bathroom, where Shadow noticed a bathtub and a shower stall. He was almost disappointed there wasn’t a hot tub or a jacuzzi, which usually would come in handy. However, he dismissed the thought and focused on the shower stall again, its transparent glass doors inviting him to just get on to what he had planned to do.

Sonic noticed there was a massive mirror in the ceiling just above the bed and a red leather sex chaise lounge next to the opposite nightstand. The hero couldn’t wait to see the bathroom, which took Shadow’s attention for a brief second. Speaking of Shadow, he still had an important question to ask his dark counterpart before anything was to happen between them.

“So, Shadow, I wanted to ask–“

“I’m going first,” Shadow stated and hastily got in the bathroom.

“Wait, I–“ Sonic tried to approach him with no success, a confused frown graced his features when Shadow locked the door once he was inside.

It seemed like Sonic had his answer already. Shadow didn’t want shit to do with him, and he showed that by getting in the bathroom to take a shower so he could head back as fast as possible. He surely had other plans for the night. Plans in which Sonic wasn’t involved. The blue hedgehog narrowed his eyes and sat on the mattress, its satin sheets getting wrinkled as he gripped them in frustration. Perhaps he had been wrong about him, even if Shadow looked interested to be in his company in the first place.

Sonic knew about his possibilities. He knew Shadow could be straight, although he felt like his rival was trying to tell him something. Maybe the _tiny_ beginning of a hint. Sonic thought back about their night. Shadow had looked hostile once he had laid his eyes on him, but in the end, he decided to stay regardless of the dozens of women surrounding his figure in the gambling tables. Shadow had made him _laugh_ , and smiled at him right after too.

It even felt like his memories threatened to come back at some point when his rival handed him the fake yellow emerald that they had won in the vault, so similar to the one that had saved Sonic’s life in space many years ago. They also talked about what they liked in bed without shame or fear. Damn, he even shared a moment with Shadow in the elevator back in Casino Night Zone. Sonic wasn’t paranoid, it all had happened right in front of his eyes.

But now it looked like it all had been in vain.

Sonic remembered Shadow shielding him from that badnik’s attack. It felt so fucking hot to have him there, looking out for him. He recalled the exact moment when Shadow had appeared in front of him, his strength and raw power protecting his body from being smashed by the robot’s heavy foot. The blue hero closed his eyes and licked his lips, reminiscing the view of Shadow’s tail and how much he owed him. He went over a few ideas on how to pay his debt and all of them involved a dick and a hole. His own hole.

Sonic was horny, it was clear as day. Opening his eyes, he noticed how his rival had been taking a long time in the shower, realizing how warm his body felt, dick threatening to get out of its sheath with every passing second. Sonic quickly searched for something in his head quills. Before heading to the casino, he had gotten a condom and two types of lube in case things got heated between him and his chosen partner for the night. He picked up the two bottles and stared at them, pondering which one would be best for personal use. Deciding to keep things simple, he selected the regular one, saving both objects back in his blue quills once he made up his mind.

He needed to jack off.

Truth was, Sonic needed a shower. A cold shower. However, the blue hedgehog wasn’t in the mood to down his current needs even if Shadow was around. Dude played him somehow, making his carefully thought-out topics of conversation look stupid. He didn’t think Shadow would act so cold towards him by deciding to head back once he put his feet in the room, not even looking at his face or listening to what he had to say. Still, Sonic was hopeful. Hopeful that he was wrong about his rival. After all, hope was the last to die, as they would say. Following his beliefs, the hero came up with an idea. A risky, dangerous idea. Maybe it would work.

Sonic’s red shoe kept tapping against the dark floor in impatience and anticipation. Shadow hadn’t gotten out of the shower yet. His breath was becoming shallow and he could feel cold sweat dripping from his temple to his muzzle. Enough of waiting. He hastily stood up and walked in the direction of the bathroom, knocking on the door insistently.

“Dude, you okay in there?” Sonic raised his fist again and knocked on the door some more. “Shadow, you’re using all the hot water! Get out!”

Shadow was done showering, but he decided to stay under the water for a brief moment. He still had to think about how that night would end and all the options he still had in case everything went to hell. Once he began pondering about his alternatives, he heard Sonic’s insistent knocking and yelling over the door. Growling, Shadow shut the water off, drying his body and wrapping a white towel around his waist. He stomped towards the door to stop the damn knocking once and for all, gloves and rocket shoes forgotten on the countertop.

“Stop knocking, damnit!” Shadow yelled back to Sonic’s face as soon as he angrily opened the bathroom’s door, steam coming out of it.

“I don’t have all night, Shadow!” Sonic retorted and grabbed Shadow’s upper arm, pulling him out of the bathroom and swiftly running inside, closing the door in the process.

Shadow stumbled on the sleek floor and blinked, turning his head back to the bathroom’s door. He couldn’t believe what Sonic had just done. Offended, Shadow walked in the direction of the window while removing his towel, throwing it on the chaise lounge in his way. He crossed his arms and frowned, thinking about what he understood from their unusual night upon seeing the city’s colorful lights shining outside.

He noticed how Sonic had been insistent in Casinopolis, trying to keep his presence for longer than necessary. It seemed like the blue hero wanted something that was more than attention. Sonic was on the hunt, just like him. Shadow refocused his gaze on the high buildings on the horizon and went over their latest interactions. There was a big possibility the blue hedgehog wasn’t as straight as people thought him to be. In reality, they were both playing a game of pretend. From what Shadow could read, Sonic was gathering information about him as much as _he_ was getting some out of his loose mouth. It had been another challenge, to say the least. In the end they both got what they wanted, still it wasn’t enough.

Shadow was curious about Sonic. Something had always drawn him to the blue blur. Perhaps it was their shared fate, as he concluded back in Casinopolis. Something about understanding each other’s struggles, even if they never openly talked about them with each other. Affinity, or simply mere empathy. Shadow saw hints of sexual interest coming from Sonic’s flattering language and conversation topics, letting the other persuade and compliment him. He even tried to make him laugh at times, which was a surprise. Sonic knew he liked being praised and recognized as superior; and Shadow deserved the praise, even more from Sonic the Hedgehog himself.

The best of them all. After him.

Still, Shadow would never let him know that, since it wasn’t Sonic’s business in the first place – especially now that he shoved him out of the bathroom with such urgency Shadow could almost say he was trying to avoid him at all costs. Maybe he read the hints wrong and the hero was just messing with him, even if he had kept his guard up during most of their interactions.

Perhaps Sonic wasn’t worth it after all.

Shadow heaved a sigh and walked in the direction of the bathroom. His rocket shoes were still on the countertop and he needed them to get out of the motel to find company somewhere else. As soon as Shadow reached the door, he noticed something weird. Sonic had closed the door when he got inside, but it was slightly open for some reason. Strange. There was a gap where the bathroom’s dim light faintly illuminated the predominant dark room. Shadow approached the gap slowly, hand around the doorknob, and looked inside. A little peek wouldn’t hurt.

Sonic was showering, wet body under the water as it washed off the excess of soap from his limbs. Only his side profile could be seen from Shadow’s position. Still, Sonic’s head was slightly turned to the other side. Shadow’s eyes moved to the peach hands on his head quills, claws cut perfectly, very different from his pointy nails which only his three longest fingers were slightly trimmed for obvious reasons.

Shadow noticed the way Sonic’s back arched a bit, tail wagging excitedly. The guy had a really nice body, even if it looked pretty similar to his own. Sonic removed his hands from his quills and the black and red hedgehog noticed he was holding something. A little bottle. His rival poured some of its liquid onto his index to ring fingers and closed the cap, securing it back in his quills.

It was impossible to blink now, because Sonic’s left hand moved to possibly wash his groin. However, it had stayed there, rubbing his sheath unhurriedly. Massaging it. His other hand, coated with the transparent liquid, moved to his ass as he raised a leg to stand on his left foot’s sole, tailhole on full display. Sonic stroke circles over his pucker until a finger went in, his mouth opening in the meanwhile once his eyes got half-lidded.

Shadow swallowed. Sonic was fingering himself.

Increased heart rate and body temperature: all signs of strong sexual desire. Shadow had never seen a man doing that, not out of a computer screen where some mobian guy would hastily prepare himself to be fucked by two other men during a bad porn flick. In reality the act was way more stimulating and Shadow could feel his hand lowering to his crotch, fingers rubbing his sheath like his blue counterpart had done moments previously.

Because now his cock was out in the open.

Shadow dropped his eyes to Sonic’s member, stopping himself from approaching the gap to take a better look at it. From what he could see in his position, it looked bigger than average, just not as thick as his own length. Sonic had inserted another digit in and silently gasped, fingers curving and moving in and out as he pumped his dick in steady motions. Shadow’s cock had emerged from its sheath, so he wrapped his hand around the base and moved it up and down slowly, building a rhythm like Sonic’s until he stopped at the tip, where he brushed his thumb a little before sliding his hand back down around his throbbing erection and repeating the process a few times.

Whenever Shadow’s hand stopped at the base, he paused to fondle his balls, savoring the sensation as his mouth opened in delight, red eyes glued on his rival’s lower body and skilled peach hands. Sonic bit his lower lip to silence a moan once a third finger was added when he pressed his other two fingers deeper inside, possibly brushing his prostate, and jacking off faster in the meantime.

The view was breathtaking. Shadow felt his hand stopping as his hips took over, bucking forward to pretend he was fucking Sonic instead. The black and red hedgehog noticed how Sonic’s lips mouthed a single name breathlessly as he stretched himself open using his fingers: _Shadow_. Said hedgehog sped his movements and noticed pre-cum already dripping from the head to the underside of his dick, before raising his eyes again to meet emerald green orbs staring back at him.

Sonic had _seen_ him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Need a breather? Because our favorite hedgehogs do. Trust me, I don’t like cliffhangers either. Just a warning: don’t let this act fool you. Sonic and Shadow can be very subtle when they want to. I would like to know what you think of Sonic’s smooth-talking, because Shadow was secretly loving it. Our little player, however, had no clue it was actually working. Maybe his rival isn’t as _straight_ forward as he seems to be. You get the memo.
> 
> The songs playing in the background of Casinopolis are called The Dreamy Stage …for Casinopolis by SEGA, from the Sonic Adventure official soundtrack, and Paradise by Sade, respectively. I was listening to Smooth Operator, also by Sade, while writing the conversation topics between Sonic and Shadow. The race’s theme song is Secrets by Regard, specifically its explicit version. An alternative to Secrets would be its remix by Tom Field.
> 
> Well, it seems like we got two allies who are struggling to get to the point. Which point you may ask? As Shadow would say, you’ll find out. Many secrets will be unfolded in Act 2, also known as Climax, as well as other fun little things. Just wait and see. In the meanwhile, tell me in the comments what you think of this act and the characters’ intentions.
> 
> Foreplay is over for now. Climax will première in twenty-four hours. Subscribe to get a notification when it’s out! You can message me on Tumblr (self-titled blog or @galsgeneration, where I make Sonic Boom gifs) or on Twitter (ask for my user privately!) if you want to know more about my thoughts on these characters or just talk to me in private. Kudos, bookmarks and comments are appreciated. I’ll see you very soon! XOXO, katypery.


	2. Climax

**DOUBLE DOWN**  
_And a Race to Hit the Jackpot_

**ACT 2**  
_Climax_

Once the blue hero moved his head in the direction of the door, his initial suspicion had been proved right instantly. Shadow had been watching him. Even better, he had been _jacking off_ to him now that he saw his erection moving as a dark hand remained wrapped around it. Holy crap. Sonic made eye contact with Shadow and held his dick in the guy’s direction, pumping it slower while watching his rival’s hypnotic gaze drop to his length.

Sonic’s dilated half-lidded eyes watched Shadow’s startled expression and his mouth curved upwards slightly, leaving space for a grin that widened with every passing moment. It only took a glimpse of another man’s dick for Shadow to melt. Modesty apart, Sonic had always been good at gambling. He wished he could just shout _bingo_ now that he knew his biggest rival was into men. It had been easier and better than he thought, because they were both aroused to the point of no return.

It was a trap. And Shadow had been caught.

Shadow quickly walked away from his position behind the door and started passing around the room, erect cock hanging loose between his legs and twitching upon contact with the sudden cool night breeze coming from the open windows. The agent was panting, white teeth gritting so hard they could break. An expression of pure rage showed itself as he tried to control his shallow breathing. He could hear Sonic laughing in the bathroom, enjoying the awkward situation and his desperate reaction.

“Wanna come in here and wash my back, dude?” Sonic asked loudly.

Shadow looked up at the ceiling and wished he could break the mirror with an uppercut. He had been a fucking idiot to let that spikey, smug little son of a bitch use him. He wanted an audience and Shadow gave him without even thinking twice. Worse, he let himself be caught in the process.

Sonic had been playing him like a damn doll during all that night and Shadow simply let him do whatever the fuck he wanted without questioning. He suppressed a growl, feeling his hands turn into fists. All he wanted to do was kick that fucking door down and beat Sonic up right there in the shower stall until unconsciousness. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up nor spent so much time cleaning his body’s lower parts meticulously.

“Son of a bitch, son of a bitch…” Shadow didn’t know if he was cursing Sonic or himself.

Sonic finally showed up, closing the door behind his back. He didn’t even bother to dress up, leaving his gloves and shoes on the countertop alongside Shadow’s. He still wore the same amused expression he had on his face when he first saw Shadow shamelessly stroking himself. Mirroring his rival, Sonic also had his fully erect dick on display, which meant he hadn’t taken care of things just yet.

“Did you cum, Shad?” he grinned, waggling his eye ridges maliciously.

Shadow turned his body to face Sonic properly and pointed a finger at him before raising his voice to show his discontentment. “You lured me away from Casinopolis! For what? To play with me?!”

Sonic’s initial smug aura faltered for a second and a suspicious frown showed itself on his face. After the initial shock, he narrowed his eyes and replied in kind, each word coming sharper than a knife as he raised his tone to match Shadow’s.

“Wha– Are you crazy? Play with you?! _You_ were the one playing with your cock while I was jacking off!”

It happened instantly. Shadow threw a punch at his face with enough force to send Sonic staggering back with a grunt. Before the blue hedgehog could manage to stand upright, Shadow kicked him in the chest using his sole. Sonic’s back hit the wall behind them, leaving a superficial hole where he landed. The dark hero rapidly approached his rival and pinned his body there, ramming his right forearm against his heaving chest. Sonic realized he would have to pay extra rings for the damaged wall. ‘Thank you, Shadow,’ he mentally spoke before refocusing his eyes on said hedgehog.

Shadow bared his teeth and huffed air through his nostrils in fury, until he finally asked the only question considered important at that moment.

“What the fuck do you want from me?!” he shouted and noticed how Sonic pressed his eyes shut due to his sudden outburst. 

When Sonic opened his eyes again, they bored straight into Shadow’s, realizing how the other seemed way too angry over something so insignificant. There was something fishy going on and Sonic would find out what it was. The blue hedgehog simply smirked in amusement and lowered his voice to show his indifference to the other’s failed tactic to intimidate him.

“What do you think, Shadow?” he snorted before continuing. “I want you to fuck me face down like you said you’d fuck that girl,” straight to the point, Sonic put his cards on the table and waited for his rival’s response.

The two hedgehogs breathed into each other’s faces for a minute. Shadow had seemed to calm down considerably. However, his breath was far from steady. Sonic was aware of their proximity, feeling the heat emanating from their bodies, especially how their dicks were almost touching. The blue hero breathed deeply, controlling his urge to pull Shadow into a rough kiss as his neglected erection begged close contact. Shadow’s violent reaction left him extremely aroused for some reason, and delaying his yearnings had always been a waste of time.

“Forget it,” Shadow spoke evenly. Actually, he wanted to do just that, but considering the way Sonic had used him for his own benefit, now he didn’t want to fuck him out of spite.

“Why? Big bad Shadow is not man enough?” Sonic smirked again and eyed his rival up and down, noticing how his body seemed to tense after hearing his audacious remark. 

“I’m not a cocksucker,” Shadow retorted defensively, slowly approaching Sonic until their abdomens were pressed tight together. The blue hedgehog’s breath hitched, almost letting out a low moan.

“No? Kinda hard to believe. You keep pressing your cock against mine, dude,” Sonic bit his lower lip and leaned his head back, presenting his tiny neck and a smug grin. 

His unexpected aloofness made Shadow’s eyes widen a bit. He took a glance at their lower bodies and saw their erections rubbing, secretly finding the warmth and slight friction rather welcome. When he locked his eyes with Sonic’s again, the other chuckled deviously as if he won their pathetic argument. 

“Gotcha, pal,” Sonic tilted his head and licked his lips as his emerald green eyes got half-lidded, loving every second of their interaction.

Except that Shadow wasn’t enjoying it. In fact, said hedgehog started fuming in irritation. Sonic’s laid-back posture changed as fast as he saw Shadow’s pupils contracting and his shaky left hand turning into a fist. It seemed like his rival was going to release a Chaos Blast, if taking his body glowing red around the edges into account.

The blue hedgehog’s eyes suddenly widened and closed, hearing Shadow’s fist collide with the neatly painted wall, right beside his head. Sonic gave a sideways glance at his fist, squinting his eyes at the thin dust coming from the deep hole it left in the surface. The dark hedgehog removed his fist from the wall and debris started falling down on the floor. Sonic blinked and shifted his eyes back to Shadow’s, finally letting his mind contemplate what he should do next.

Shadow wanted him, and it was obvious now. Still, the guy was too stubborn to admit it and Sonic too stupid not to notice sooner. Shadow wouldn’t relent no matter what. The blue hedgehog realized he had been a jerk for making fun of the situation, because it seemed like his rival wasn’t exactly on the same page as him. He looked betrayed somehow, as if Sonic was using him as a tool. He needed to mend things with Shadow as quick as possible. Honesty was important in order for this to work if they still wanted to end the night on good terms.

Sonic knew he owed him an apology.

“Look, I– I’m sorry if I was an asshole, but I wasn’t playing with you,” Sonic held eye contact with Shadow, who listened to him attentively. “I just didn’t want you to think I was messing with you in case you didn’t like men.”

“What?” Shadow frowned, feeling more confused than before. He still hadn’t let go of Sonic nor pushed away from his body.

Sonic snorted and tried again. “You see, I like men! And I was about to ask if you did too, but you got in the shower so fast I thought you were trying to avoid me,” the blue blur knew he was rambling at this point, but he needed to explain his motivations, so there would be no doubts between them. “I should’ve asked you back in Casinopolis, but I didn’t know how you’d react so I just flirted with you until you said something. Maybe dropped a hint, I dunno,” he shrugged.

Shadow’s eyes dropped to Sonic’s lips, which kept moving nonstop. He parted his own lips as a sigh of relief left his mouth.

“It was all a misunderstanding, Shadow. I didn’t mean to–“

Sonic’s speech was cut short by Shadow pulling him into a hungry kiss. His eyes widened in surprise, but quickly fell shut as he tried to keep up with the other’s pace. Shadow held the side of his head with his right hand while the other wrapped itself around his waist, arching Sonic’s back from the mess in the wall. The blue hedgehog placed an arm around Shadow’s shoulders as his left hand squeezed his ass, making Shadow hum against his lips. To Sonic’s amazement, his rival’s ass was as firm as he imagined it to be. He wondered if anyone had ever grabbed his buttocks at some point – they had no idea what they were missing.

“Now we’re talking,” Sonic mumbled against Shadow’s mouth in appreciation.

In the heat of the moment, Shadow grabbed both of Sonic’s thighs and placed his legs around his waist, locking in the ankles. He moved forward to pin his rival on the wall again, rutting against his body to rekindle his erection. Sonic wrapped both his arms around Shadow’s neck and they moaned in unison due to the anticipated friction. The dark hero licked Sonic’s mouth as to ask him to kiss him back deeply and his rival complied, spiky quills scratching out burgundy paint from the wrecked surface whenever his body went up and down with each brush of the other’s length.

Breaking the kiss, Shadow moved his lips to the crook of Sonic’s neck, sucking and biting the barely visible skin, making his rival groan and close his eyes in ecstasy. The blue hedgehog put a hand in his quills, getting the same bottle of lube he had used in the shower and pressing it against Shadow’s chest fur, making him stop in his tracks.

“Let’s finish this,” his voice was a little raspy.

Shadow wordlessly carried Sonic to the bed, throwing him there once his knees hit the edge of the mattress. Landing with a thud, Sonic moved to the middle of the bed, eyes never leaving his rival, who was crawling on the mattress until he stopped to sit on his heels. Shadow searched for something in his head quills as Sonic placed a pillow under his head, legs wide open for the other to fuck him as he deemed fit. Shadow got a condom from his stripped quills and ripped the packing off using his fangs, spitting the remaining metallic plastic on the floor. Sonic watched his rival putting the condom on his cock and grinned in anticipation. It would be a challenge to take it all.

“Guess I owe you a good fuck, huh?” Sonic chuckled, thinking about the time Shadow had saved him back in the clearing.

“Face down, hedgehog,” Shadow ordered before applying lube on his erection, now covered with the condom.

Sonic shifted to lay with his belly down, getting on his knees and raising his ass up until it reached the height of Shadow’s hips after noticing his rival move up from his heels. He laid his head on the pillow, resting his arms under the soft surface, and relaxed, waiting for the initial contact. Good thing he had prepared himself well before that moment.

“Gimme all you got, man.”

Seeing how they were barely acquaintances, Sonic realized Shadow would be the type of guy to easily fuck him raw and leave him to fend for himself at some ditch until his legs started moving again. He wasn’t opposed to the scenario, however, as it seemed pretty savage and interesting. Sonic still had a long list of kinks in his bucket list that he was looking forward to try with a dude, and he promptly deemed Shadow an eligible partner if they ended up crossing paths again.

The hero had a brief impression that Shadow wouldn’t go easy on him, all things considered. And it seemed like Sonic had his suppositions confirmed, because Shadow rammed his dick inside him without warning, stopping when half of his length was already in.

Sonic cried out in pain and pleasure. It felt so freaking good, especially how Shadow progressively went deeper, pulling out until just his head was in, then thrusting back again to be balls deep inside him. They were both reasonably close to their climax, noticing how long they’d been building up the tension since Sonic’s controversial shower session. Therefore, speeding things up was only natural for them.

Shadow groaned, voice low and raw, and set a rhythm that was both steady and hard to keep up. With his peach hands grasping the dark purple satin sheets, Sonic moaned louder with each buck of the other’s hips, face contorted in pure bliss as his blue body moved back and forth, bed following suit to scratch the perfectly waxed floor underneath.

Shadow had anal sex with plenty of women, but nothing could be compared to fucking a man. He grunted every time his hips rocked forward, each noise coming from his rival’s big mouth felt like music to his ears. His clawed hands gripped the blue hedgehog’s hips, holding him still to make it impossible for him to shift from his place. It was entertaining, exciting, sensual, like everything else around him: from Sonic’s masculine smell, his strong body and pointy tail wagging against his crotch, to the way his balls smacked a sack instead of thin pussy lips. Everything felt perfect in a manner he could never imagine. Shadow’s head leaned back, mouth opening to let out another guttural moan.

The agent looked at their reflection in the massive mirror above the bed. What a precarious position. He loved it, wishing he could frame the view in his brain until eternity.

It would be nice to also remember the way his cock disappeared whenever he thrusted back into Sonic, deeper than before. Wanting more and more each time. Shadow was finally fucking a _man_. And it felt better than any woman he had ever had the honor to get into bed with. It was impossible to measure how relieved he had felt when Sonic apologized moments ago, saying it all had been a misunderstanding from his part. Emotion had clouded their better judgement like always, and it was starting to get annoying.

Shadow had fallen to his trap, letting himself be trapped once again between those blue legs when he rutted against his rival, making him feel things he never believed could be possible. He felt wanted, needed, and most of all, _safe_ , even if he had handed his body over to Sonic without much resistance. Now Sonic screamed out his name in pleasure, fucking himself back to meet his thrusts halfway. It felt intense and mutual, like a real partnership should be.

Sonic was his ticket to experience what a real man felt like. He had trusted the blue hedgehog throughout the whole night, realizing he always would in one way or another. It was infuriating and liberating at the same time. Out of all the hot women flirting with him in that crowded casino, he ended up in bed with Sonic the Hedgehog. A guy he knew so well – perhaps not so much until that incredible night – and he had never been so happy during his life out of Space Colony ARK, and _that_ was saying something.

“Harder, Shadow!” Sonic cried out, and Shadow noticed how the hero had turned his head a little to look over his shoulder, grinning at him before his mouth let out another command. “Harder!”

Shadow wanted to shut that fucking mouth and wipe that grin off his face for interrupting his inner monologue.

The black and red hedgehog shifted his grip on his rival’s hip, holding his sensitive tail instead, and pulled out, head still inside just past his pucker. He moved his right leg and rammed his foot roughly on Sonic’s slicked back quills, pinning his head down against the pillow and thrusting back inside to keep his previous harsh pace, tip brushing against Sonic’s prostate every time. The new position felt wondrous, his stretched leg balanced over the blue hedgehog’s head as his moans were muffled by the pillow under him. Shadow was exhilarated, having Sonic right where he should be. Underneath his foot.

Sonic seemed to relish the awkward position to the point of coming so hard he screamed against the pillow, gripping the sheets as warm cum pooled under his body. Grinning, Shadow closed his eyes and bit his lower lip, starting to feel his long-awaited orgasm coming. He lowered his gaze and looked at his rival, feeling almost guilty for treating him roughly. However, it looked like Sonic was enjoying the mistreatment, so Shadow guessed he wasn’t the only sick bastard in the room. They both liked pain for some twisty reason.

As soon as he felt his climax building up, Shadow swiftly pulled out completely and ripped the condom off his dick, throwing it aside and manhandling Sonic’s body until the other faced him, breathing heavily as his eyes opened and closed slowly. Shadow held his cock by the base and came on his rival’s face and chest, groaning in the process. Sonic’s already open mouth tried to swallow his load as best as it could. The blue hedgehog squinted his eyes shut once a drop of cum dripped from his eye ridge to his eye unwillingly.

Shadow panted and slowly lied down on the mattress beside Sonic, chest heaving with each breath he took, cock gradually softening. He wiped the sweat off his temple using the back of his hand while trying to control his labored breathing. The hero was way too busy trying to grip the edge of the bed sheet to quickly wipe his burning eye.

“Fuck!” Sonic complained while cleaning his face with the satin sheet. It had been a horrible idea, since it only made things worse. His eye watered, looking red once he could finally open it decently and blink a few times to refocus his vision. “You spilled some in my eye, damnit. Terrible aiming. Thought you knew how to shoot.”

“It’s what you deserve,” Shadow chuckled lowly with his eyes closed, placing an arm under his head.

“Sorry I hurt your _feelings_ ,” Sonic apologized sarcastically and used the already stained purple bed sheet to clean his chest and belly. He noticed he would have to move from his spot since he had been lying over his own cum. “We’re good now?”

Shadow sighed and opened his eyes slowly, fixing Sonic a cool sideways glance, and the blue hero took that as a ‘yes.’ They were sort of friends again.

Sonic was glad he and Shadow were on good terms, even if it only took them an orgasm to rekindle their weird relationship. Shadow was comfortable, lying beside him without complaining or insulting his loud moaning. He realized something had shifted in his rival. Probably it was relief or something else.

Whatever it was, Sonic was glad to be the reason of his peacefulness. Of his contentment. Shadow had stood up, now coming back from the bathroom with a wet towel which he tossed at Sonic’s face after cleaning himself up. He lied down on the bed without his gloves and rocket shoes on, which was a good sign. Sonic realized Shadow would make him company.

The two hedgehogs sat side by side on the mattress, heads and backs leaned on the soft dark purple pillows. Their postures were lazy, meaning they were half lying, half sitting, bodies illuminated by the colorful neon lights coming from the windows, spotlights never turning off even if it was almost 2 AM. Night life was Casino Street Zone’s specialty, so it would always make sure its residents and visitants never turned down an offer to party or basically engage in late night sexual activities.

Sonic saw Shadow holding a cigarette between his index and middle fingers to his lips once he got a pack from his upturned quills. He watched the hedgehog moving a glowing index finger to its tip, lighting it up using Chaos energy. Shadow inhaled deeply then exhaled the smoke through his mouth and nostrils, head leaning back a little. Sonic smirked, eyes falling half-lidded. He could get used to that if Shadow agreed to hang out with him in the future. He sighed, enamored by the unpredicted view, and broke the silence.

“Didn’t know you smoked.”

“I don’t,” Shadow denied, placing his cigarette loosely between his lips.

“Neither do I,” Sonic stole the cigarette from him and put it between his own.

With his mouth hanging slightly open, Shadow observed Sonic expertly taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing smoke in the air. The black and red hedgehog suddenly felt curious to know when and _where_ Sonic had had his first cigarette drag. He hastily pondered it must had been during his early teenage years, considering the number of casinos and western bars he frequented during his missions to stop the Doctor’s evil plans. Shadow didn’t even want to know at this point, because Sonic had proved him many times over how he didn’t know shit about him.

The agent smirked and gently took his cigarette back from Sonic’s fingers. The blue hedgehog winked at him before smiling. Shadow grinned, shaking his head a little, and took a drag afterwards.

Shadow wasn’t smoking to calm down – he wouldn’t calm down even if he smoked thirty packs one after another. He was smoking to celebrate, regardless of his face showing nothing but indifference. The black and red hedgehog would never say or show it, but he was satisfied. He had finally done it after so many months dreaming about it.

He fucked a man.

Unlike what Sonic believed, he had never been straight in the first place. He learned that after his first sexual experience with Rouge. Of course, he tried to believe he was sexually attracted to women, and he was in a way. However, his attraction stopped right there for his disappointment: casual sex lacking sentiment and depth.

Rouge was a woman who deserved to be loved and he tried to make himself like her more than just an ally. Even so, he still couldn’t see her as anything but an acquaintance. Shadow decided to let her go, not only due to her kindness towards him, so similar to Maria’s own, but because he couldn’t love her the way she deserved to be loved. By a man, not a friend.

Shadow thought back about his past hookups, a bunch of beautiful women who were interested to get to know him, who saw him as a man, not a weapon, and he smiled a little. They were so polite and nice to him – it was almost pitiful to keep lying to himself. What he felt for them was identification, not really attraction itself. They were only a means to an end. A hole to fill. And Shadow already knew how it would end. It would end with them parting ways or becoming friends at best. Unfortunately, he couldn’t connect with women on a romantic level.

Because they were only seen as _besties_.

The black and red hedgehog realized how much easier he bonded and identified himself with girls. Maria, Rouge, Hope Kintobor, even little Cream. Girls showed their true intentions, were easy to trust and trusted him in return without fear. Grown women were kindhearted, even if they had a secret ruthless nature, they would make their intentions clear so he knew what to expect from them, saving little mind games to men.

Therefore, sex was easy. And hooking up with women felt convenient, meaning he could act on his sexual urges with no regrets, knowing how men were dangerous, wicked, cold-blooded bastards. He was a man himself, so he was aware of what a man could do if someone let their guard down.

Women were trustworthy. Men not so much.

Shadow knew from Rouge’s experiences how hard it was to trust a man in bed. He felt important once Rouge told him he was one of a kind, because most of the guys she’d ever stumbled upon had objectified her, seen her as inferior. No wonder Rouge, being clever as she was, used that first impression to her advantage, tricking men into thinking she was dumb judging by her physical appearance. She used her body as bait, already knowing guys would take her for granted. In that aspect, Rouge was smarter and colder than Shadow, because he let himself be subdued by them plenty of times, until he was finally done being controlled.

Like many women, Shadow had been manipulated and objectified by men, just not sexually. However, he had his memories twisted, emotions played with, goals deflected, purposes invalidated, identity denied and free will ripped out. He could name a few men who had messed with his head to the point of almost breaking apart, including his creator and supposed father. Shadow had been submissive during his entire creation, either by taking orders, granting wishes and playing along with whatever scheme he was pulled into. He had always complied – he had no reason not to.

So, in order to be in control of his life, he had to control others. Control their personal beliefs and likes, molding them to his will. Shadow had to balance the chaos somehow, feel like he was in charge, even if he wasn’t in charge of his own life and needs yet. Still, he couldn’t find himself to do it. To finally be the villain everyone expected him to be. He wasn’t evil, he was only misunderstood, and it was frustrating to be seen as a bad guy entirely.

Truth was, he liked men. And as a man, Shadow knew other men wanted control and power over him too. Being sexually attracted to them was a curse, because he couldn’t find himself trusting them to the point of letting go of control. Letting his guard down. He had all the reasons in the world to think they would just use his body and easily discard him. Shadow had thought Sonic would do exactly that, before his rival finally made things clear between them.

The dark hero always took risks, but losing his integrity wasn’t one he was willing to take. He didn’t want to lose the respect he had carefully conquered by letting a random guy play with his emotions. He had been wronged by men way too many times it became hard to see another on a different light.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t not think about them. Despite being a cure and a weapon, Shadow had impulses. Rouge and Omega didn’t know about his sexuality, being kept in the dark for many months and counting. He trusted them, but he didn’t want to let them know until he could eventually start acting on his needs. Shadow started by stealing a glance at other men’s bodies, including Sonic’s own, browsing websites in order to find porn movies depicting sex between two male mobians, regardless of their species, and searching important terms and colloquialisms.

He wondered if the Commander checked their work computer’s searching history. Although Shadow always used anonymous tabs, he had an impression their I.T. staff would be quite surprised by the number of articles explaining how to do a proper blowjob and use an enema bulb on Team Dark’s assigned computer. He realized he could just blame it on his dear bat friend.

And people thought _Rouge_ was desperate for a cock.

Shadow leaned his head to blow smoke upwards, fogging his and Sonic’s reflection in the ceiling mirror. Passing his cigarette to his rival again, the agent thought about how sex with men could feel like. Gladly he already had his answer: it could feel really good.

At first, Shadow had imagined sex was compared to a power balance, where someone should be bent to the other’s will. However, he had learned that it involved mutual respect, consent and enjoyment. Three things that were pretty hard to find another man valuing, considering they were mostly selfish. Even so, he was glad Sonic was there to prove him wrong.

Shadow never wanted to be liked by anymore, rather the opposite. Sure, he wanted to be respected, and if he couldn’t be, then _feared_ should be his second option. Shadow only really mattered to Rouge and Omega, perhaps Sonic too. They were the only people who fully embraced him despite his flaws during the worst times of his life, save for the worst of them all, where he had been left alone to rot until he was found in suspended animation plenty of years later.

Only one man stood by his side when he tried to recover his identity. Shadow was never meant to feel, just to think and protect, but still he felt something stirring when Sonic had supported him in his journey. He couldn’t trust men, but he could trust Sonic, which was surprising to say the least. His one and only rival who loved to piss him off.

Sonic had always wanted the best for him, even when they were fighting on different sides. It was hard to agree with Sonic’s decisions, but he managed to understand where he came from. The blue hero wanted to save others, including him. He saw him as a being more than a weapon, someone who had a heart and an honorable purpose. Just like Rouge, he never used his failures and mistakes against him, not even once. He teased him for fun, like he would tease a close friend. He saw him as a _friend_ , and that meant everything. Because a friend could trust the other, even if they took different routes.

The blue hedgehog had been smoking with Shadow in comfortable silence. He noticed how his rival was most likely brooding, so he let him, deciding to overthink a little as well. It was obvious Shadow was conflicted about having sex with men, as he concluded he had been his first guy judging by their first kiss alone. It felt desperate and long overdue in his opinion. Thinking back of the consequences that led them to share a bed, Sonic realized Shadow had been right. He left the door open on purpose. He did wrong and he knew it.

Even so, it wasn’t his fault entirely. Sonic did want a private moment to jack off and finger himself in the first place, pretending Shadow was making love to him. He was pent-up and his rival only made things worse. Shadow watching him masturbate wasn’t a priority in his agenda, it was simply a plus. It showed him how that night had been real for both parties, putting an end to an unbearable doubt. Now that he had his answer, could _feel_ his answer, he realized he had almost fucked up a fragile friendship he had worked really hard to build. Sonic had to be an asshole and fasten things up. Too much for being the fastest thing alive.

Never again.

Sonic agreed he would never push Shadow, but he had done just that unconsciously, because he didn’t know his limits in the first place. They never talked about them. Shadow was a nice guy and he cared about him a lot. Cared to be seen as a friend too, not just a rival or sometimes opponent, regardless of their tiresome disagreements. Sonic didn’t want Shadow to feel used or dismissed like he had been during his entire life. The blue hedgehog worried about his feelings more than he should and wished Shadow would just talk to him about what bothered him. He wanted to help and hold him without getting anything in return, like a good friend would do.

Sonic decided to make him an offer. A simple suggestion, seeing that Shadow was still new to the touch of another man. Maybe he could show how much he cared about him through physicality alone. Shadow wouldn’t need to talk, just feel. If he declined, Sonic wouldn’t push further. He would wait instead.

The hero placed a hand over Shadow’s thigh, caressing it in back-and-forth motions. Shadow had discarded their shared cigarette and crossed his arms over his chest, shivering at the sudden contact.

“I’m down for round two if you want,” Sonic informed quietly.

“Aren’t you tired?” Shadow asked, regarding his rival with prying red eyes.

“Nah, I never get tired,” he chuckled, hand still stroking the other’s thigh gently.

“Hmph,” Shadow rolled his eyes at his response.

“We could switch,” Sonic dropped the bomb.

_Switch_. Shadow’s eyes studied Sonic’s laid-back posture, letting that word sink in.

“No,” he declined.

“Afraid to take it from the back?” Sonic presented a sympathetic grin. His hand lowered to caress Shadow’s knee and moved back to his thigh.

“I fucked you. It’s over,” Shadow dodged the question by focusing his gaze elsewhere.

“Thought you would be the only one playing the man?” the hero snorted and chuckled a little, squeezing his thigh to get his attention. He could feel his black fur standing on end.

‘No,’ Shadow mentally replied. ‘I didn’t even plan to play the man with you in the first place,’ he didn’t say.

“Enough,” he kindly removed Sonic’s hand from his thigh. In reality, he was just playing hard to get.

“Okay,” Sonic nodded and laid down, turning his back to Shadow. “Tell me if you change your mind.”

He was glad Sonic gave him a moment to think. 

The agent trusted Sonic not to tell anyone about their night, as he would do the same. Just a little secret between rivals. It wasn’t anyone’s business and they both had a reputation to maintain, so he wouldn’t need to worry about that in specific.

Shadow wasn’t exactly worried about being fucked. He was worried about _liking_ it.

Only because it was Sonic he was talking about. He would never let another man talk him into bottoming. They weren’t on the same ground as Sonic and never would be. The blue hedgehog was way too confident in himself, intimidating Shadow a little. He knew they were equals in many aspects, including narcissism. If the hero was as self-conscious as himself, he surely would work hard to give him the best time of his life.

His insistence was admirable. The way he used reason outstanding. Being calculated, Shadow realized Sonic’s impulsive actions were mostly thought-out in advance. He defended his goals with passion and a clear objective. Shadow had minimal goals, and even remaining cold, he let his emotions take over him, making him the impulsive one out of the two.

Shadow noticed it would be for a good reason this time. Let his emotions take over. The agent was inquisitive to know if Sonic was powerful enough to make him cum again by penetration alone. He was seriously considering to accept his indecent offer, especially after a strange question popped up in his mind.

If Sonic treated women like princesses, would he treat a man kindly too?

There was only one way to find out. He had to open the door and let him inside. Shadow had never fingered himself, even if he wanted so much, then it would be a totally new sensation for him. Besides, Sonic was a man he could trust, no matter which side they stood. Shadow was tired of overthinking and repassing possibilities over and over again in his head.

The dark hedgehog bent his legs and left his arms hanging over his knees, pondering one last time. He had cleaned down there in case Sonic had taken matters into his own hands if their night had gone differently. Perhaps he shouldn’t waste the opportunity to let his guard down. He was tired of being in control of everything, so it would be a nice way to let it go and feel it all instead.

He should make it count. Professor Gerald Robotnik was right, Shadow had been created to be perfect. And he was perfect. There was nothing more perfect than living his life to the fullest when all odds were against him, surpassing fears and concerns effortlessly. He wouldn’t regret his decision because Sonic was worth it. Therefore, he decided to hand over his hole on a platter with a cherry on top.

And there was no better man than Sonic the Hedgehog to pop his cherry.

Shadow deserved a good fuck after all the shit he had been through that night. All those mood swings and brooding sessions had given him a terrible headache anyway. It was time to let Sonic know he was the elusive chosen one.

“Sonic.”

“Changed your mind?” Sonic swiftly turned his body to face Shadow properly. He propped himself up on one elbow, resting his head on a fist while his mouth curved upwards in mischievousness.

“You think I can’t take it?” Shadow answered his rival with another question, eyes falling half-lidded.

“Pfft,” Sonic shrugged, smiling. He raised an eye ridge after eyeing Shadow up and down. “Can you?”

Shadow shifted his position to lay down on the mattress. He bent his legs, placing his hands over each thigh, and spread them wide slowly. Sonic’s gaze dropped to his flaccid cock instantly.

“Is that a challenge?” he teased.

“We could make it into one,” Sonic crawled in Shadow’s direction until he stopped between the other’s legs, hissing a bit from their intense last round. “Let’s see how long you last.”

Sonic pulled Shadow into a slow, deep kiss, savoring the other’s mouth as he saw fit. Shadow let him, closing his eyes and placing both his hands on his rival’s shoulders as the other descended his body to rub their dicks together, craving friction. The blue hedgehog broke the kiss and licked his mouth, before moving his head to nip and suck his tiny neck and collarbone. Shadow let out a low moan and cursed himself for letting Sonic know his weaknesses. He really couldn’t stop being self-aware for a damn second somehow.

Sonic’s hands traveled his body while he rutted against Shadow, mouth finding its way to his ear as a hand held one of his thighs firmly. “I wanna eat your ass,” he whispered.

Shadow’s breath hitched and he looked Sonic in the eyes once the other moved from his spot, waiting for him to lie on his abdomen. Shadow complied wordlessly, finding Sonic getting bossy a delightful discovery. He got on his knees, bending over and laying his head down on the soft pillow, and looked over his shoulder not to miss Sonic’s initial reaction.

“Damn…” the blue hedgehog couldn’t resist.

“Enjoying the view? Or you’ve never seen a hole before?” Shadow smirked, trying to rile him up.

“Not yours,” Sonic rectified, smirking back at him. “Now I know _why_ you took so long in the shower,” the hero pointed out triumphantly.

“I had my own plans,” Shadow confessed. There was no point in denying it now.

“I see,” Sonic lowered his body and placed both hands on Shadow’s buttocks, after playing with his pointy tail a little. “Guess your plans still stand,” he commented before licking his entrance, making Shadow shiver involuntarily.

Sonic licked his rival’s pucker slowly, savoring his taste as Shadow let out breathy gasps, trying to muffle them by moaning against the pillow. The hero grasped his butt cheeks and spread them apart, stopping to bite one of them before getting back to his task. His tongue traveled from the underside of Shadow’s sack to his hole, circling the tip around it until he finally sucked on his pucker softly, blowing some warm air inside to make the other shiver again.

The blue hedgehog could feel Shadow’s legs trembling from the new sensation, especially after his tongue threatened to enter past his hole. Shadow let out a low moan at that, feeling the tip of his rival’s tongue, already inside, circle his pucker before the suction continued. The dark hedgehog gripped the sheets and panted, trying to keep up with Sonic’s ministrations. He whispered his rival’s name as soon as he could feel his erection brushing against the satin bed sheets.

Once Sonic decided it was enough for Shadow, he removed his tongue from the other’s entrance, hearing a low groan, and placed a hand in his blue quills, searching for the special lube he had saved for situations like that. Shadow looked over his shoulder to see what Sonic was doing and tensed, watching his rival coating his longest fingers with a very known liquid. Shadow breathed deeply, trying to recompose himself because the worst was yet to come. Still, he realized Sonic would try to make things easier for him. After all, the hero was pretty practical and surprisingly attentive.

“Ready?” Sonic asked as a wet finger circled Shadow’s already soaked pucker.

“Always,” Shadow closed his eyes and waited.

Sonic pressed a finger inside and Shadow grunted, considering it had gone deeper than the other’s tongue did previously. He could feel Sonic’s finger stretching him, curving a little to stroke his inner walls, his mouth hanging open in pleasure. It felt good, especially when Sonic inserted another digit, stretching him slowly and wider while scissoring his slicked fingers inside him. Soon enough Shadow’s moans increased in volume as he rutted against the sheets for some well-deserved friction.

The black and red hedgehog perceived a different sensation. He felt an intense tingling inside his hole every time Sonic’s fingers brushed his skin, making Shadow pant a little. It was an awkward feeling, once he felt his inner walls getting warmer than seconds prior. Shadow opened one eye and looked at the bottle, which Sonic had placed on the nearest nightstand with its label turned to him, and had his suspicions confirmed.

It was a warming lube.

He had used a warming lube with Rouge before, and now it seemed like it was _his_ turn to experience its properties. Sonic’s hand, the one holding Shadow’s body still, went to massage his back between his quills until it lowered down again to play with his tail, that wouldn’t stop wagging. He eventually pressed a third finger in, making Shadow cry out as soon as Sonic found his prostate.

Shadow was burning inside, both literally and figuratively. Not to the point of agony, since it would be impossible for him to have an allergic reaction in such a crucial moment. Sonic smiled, biting his lower lip as he pressed his fingers against his rival’s prostate one too many times until deeming Shadow stretched enough for what was to come. Sonic gently removed his fingers out of his pucker and chuckled upon noticing Shadow gradually stop rutting against the bed sheets. He probably remembered their subtle challenge.

“It’s gonna get hot, my dude,” Sonic warned before moving his mouth to the other’s hole again, where he blew some air, making the warming effect increase. Shadow cursed and closed his eyes, whimpering while gripping the sheets desperately. He had started to sweat already.

_Burn_ , he told himself. He deserved that.

“Let’s do it face up?” Sonic asked before manhandling Shadow’s body so the other faced him.

“Looking into my eyes?” Shadow inquired breathlessly and grinned, rather amused with Sonic’s familiar choice of position.

“And watching you cum,” the blue hedgehog finished for him, before getting a condom from his blue quills.

Shadow stared at his rival’s hand in disappointment. He wanted to feel _Sonic_ inside him, not some latex material.

“I want it raw.”

Sonic was about to open the pack using his teeth before he heard Shadow’s sudden wish.

“But Shad–“

“Raw,” the dark hero interrupted his speech, narrowing his amber-ish red eyes at him.

Sonic shrugged, realizing there was no point in using protection with Shadow. The guy wasn’t able to carry any kind of diseases in his body and Sonic himself was clean too. Even so, the blue hedgehog felt a little concerned because it had been a long time since he fucked someone without using a condom. Ever since his last ex-girlfriend to be precise.

“Anyway,” the hero started, before applying more lube on his fingers to coat his erection with the warming liquid. He stroked his length, leaving the head untouched. He had plans for Shadow.

Speaking of Shadow, the black and red hedgehog had been looking entranced by his cock again. It was hilarious. Sonic suppressed a laugh at the other’s face – dude couldn’t even blink. He smirked, half-lidded eyes judging Shadow silently until his wet strokes ceased. Shadow licked his lips once Sonic held his dick by the base.

“Like what you see?” Sonic brushed the tip of his member on Shadow’s inner thigh, pre-cum wetting his fur. Shadow shivered; eyes still fixed on his length. “Heh, you do,” he chuckled. “Never saw another man’s dick up-close, huh? Wanna have a taste? Just a lick?” the blue hedgehog kindly offered, holding his cock in the other’s direction.

Shadow bit his lower lip before nodding. He probably was at a loss for words. Sonic shifted from his spot and moved to straddle his rival, sitting on his chest fur while holding his dick to his mouth.

“Don’t bite me, ‘kay?”

Shadow dropped his gaze to Sonic’s member and decided to finally have a taste. Placing his palms on Sonic’s legs, he closed his eyes and licked the underside of the other’s balls and dick, tongue traveling slowly from base to tip. Pausing at the head, Shadow tasted Sonic’s pre-cum, humming against his erection.

Obviously lost in the sensation, Shadow closed his mouth around the head and sucked tentatively. He kept sucking until he heard Sonic moaning before hastily taking his dick from his mouth. A trail of saliva linked Shadow’s lips to his rival’s erection.

“Whoa, calm down, dude! And you say you’re not a cocksucker,” Sonic laughed, eyes sparkling, and moved back to his previous position between Shadow’s legs.

“Stop stalling and fuck me already, Sonic,” Shadow frowned and bared his teeth, failing to realize his cheeks were burning.

“Alright, alright,” Sonic agreed before raising Shadow’s hips so his ass rested on his lap, since he was currently sitting on his heels. “You trust me?” he asked as he aligned his cock to Shadow’s entrance.

“Yes,” Shadow replied, absentmindedly.

He regretted admitting it. He trusted Sonic and it wasn’t a secret, but he hated himself for letting it slip. Because now Sonic _knew_ it from his own mouth.

Said hedgehog moved to kiss him and Shadow closed his eyes instantly, the gesture putting an end to his inner turmoil. In the meanwhile, he could feel himself being stretched again by something bigger than three soaked fingers. The blue hedgehog moaned lowly as soon as he entered him, noticing Shadow gasp and quiver around his cock, possibly feeling the intrusion rather uncomfortable at first.

“Relax,” Sonic whispered, peppering Shadow’s face with tender kisses and waiting for the other to adjust to the sensation. He kept kissing him before continuing with a soft tone. “Don’t worry, buddy. I’ll be extra careful wit ya,” then Sonic gave his rival an open-mouthed kiss to diverge his attention.

It was a distraction. Shadow tried to keep up with the kiss, relaxing in the meantime. He didn’t realize he was so tense until now. Once he felt comfortable enough, he let out an order in his usual husky voice.

“Move.”

Sonic bucked his hips forward slowly at the beginning. Then he set a steady pace while locking his eyes with Shadow’s, even if the other struggled to keep them open. The black and red hedgehog moaned whenever Sonic sped his motions, taking it all even if it felt a little overwhelming.

The blue hero groaned, increasing speed and power. Gripping Shadow’s legs forcefully, Sonic suddenly placed a palm behind the other’s back, moving his body to his lap before thrusting back inside. Shadow’s clawed hands gripped his shoulders momentarily, keeping their upper bodies at arms-length as their position changed to one similar to a V.

Sonic was glinting with sweat. His strong scent of musk turned the agent’s head upside down. He loved that smell. It felt so hot, mostly with the help of Sonic’s warming lube numbing his senses temporarily. Recalling his vast experiences with women, Shadow started to meet his rival’s thrusts halfway by bouncing on his lap, increasing velocity to match Sonic’s incessant motions. It felt way better, especially how his member brushed against their abdomens every time he ascended and descended. At first, Shadow thought _Sonic_ was loud, then he realized he had been moaning like a bitch for a while now.

“Keep going,” Sonic breathlessly ordered while looking into his eyes. “Bounce.”

Shadow hated taking orders. Still, he wouldn’t stop bouncing only because Sonic instructed him to do so. The agent felt nothing but pleasure ever since they started this second round, then he would enjoy it as much as he could. Shadow leaned his head back, letting out a guttural groan, not really expecting Sonic to lean forward to bite his neck, licking a lovebite as he held his body from behind so Shadow wouldn’t fall backwards.

The blue hedgehog kept fucking him vigorously and Shadow was finding pretty hard to keep up, tears already pooling in the corners of his shut eyes. On the spur of the moment, the agent wrapped his legs around the other’s waist and tried to boost his moving body with a palm on the mattress, feeling his second orgasm coming.

_Bounce_.

Sonic and Shadow held on to each other by all means necessary. The city’s neon lights shone on their glinting bodies and disheveled head quills, their silhouette looking like something akin to a heart if taking the position of their curved quills into consideration. Just like during their impromptu meetings, their hearts beat in unison, increasing speed by each second closer to oblivion. Even if their upper bodies were kept apart, they still would be conjoined by a single goal. Except this time, their goal was all around. Up and down and in and out, until one of them crumbled in satisfaction.

Finally clinging to his rival, Shadow came with a loud groan while watching their reflection in the mirror. He couldn’t move anymore, but Sonic kept going, fucking him until he reached his own climax. Shadow closed his eyes and fought the overstimulation, whimpering and panting desperately, until he was finally filled up to the brim like he’d been secretly dreaming of. The blue hedgehog grunted and wrapped his arms around Shadow’s body, holding him closer so the other wouldn’t lose his balance. They touched foreheads, breathing heavily into each other’s mouths as their eyes fluttered shut.

Sonic wouldn’t let him fall. Not again.

Shadow placed one hand on Sonic’s shoulder, trying to raise from the other’s lap but decided against it when he felt warm cum threatening to drip to his inner thighs. Perhaps they could stay like that for a little while, even if it hurt him. Once their breaths steadied, Shadow opened his eyes and saw Sonic staring back at him with a look he’d never seen in his face before. It seemed like he had just hit the jackpot.

“Not bad for a straight guy,” the blue hedgehog commented jokingly, voice a little hoarse.

Shadow closed his eyes again and grinned, chuckling darkly as if he had just thought of an exceptionally devious plan. He was laughing at the absurdity of that statement. His straight guy card had been revoked a long time ago, except that no one but him knew. Shadow felt a tear falling from the corner of his eye, one that was gently wiped off by Sonic’s thumb.

“I mean it, Shadow,” Sonic continued, earning a snort from the agent. “No wonder you’ve always had a stick up your ass. You take it so well,” the blue nuisance laughed at his own insult.

“Better than you,” Shadow remarked, finally opening his eyes, which were half-lidded. He wore a fond smile on his face.

Sonic caressed Shadow’s muzzle using the back of his index and middle fingers and the other leaned into his touch. They held eye contact for a brief minute before the blue hedgehog made a confession.

“You have no idea how bad my ass hurts right now.”

“I do,” the ‘now’ was left unsaid.

The two hedgehogs laughed breathlessly, their noses slightly touching. They were both fucked in every sense of the word. However, it had been a wonderful experience. One Shadow was going to remember for the rest of his life.

Because now he was free. And all he had to do was open his heart.

Later, Sonic limped to the bathroom to wet another towel so they could clean up their mess. Refusing to let his rival towel him down, as it felt humiliating according to Shadow’s stupid ideals, the black and red hedgehog cleaned his body himself and threw the cloth aside, lying down slowly trying not to hiss. Making a face, Sonic lied next to him, narrowing his eyes when Shadow punched his arm when he tried to caress his head quills. Shadow never ceased to be insufferable, even after two orgasms it seemed.

Staring at their reflection in the ceiling mirror, Sonic decided to break the silence.

“Did it feel good? I didn’t hurt you, did I? Be honest.”

‘It felt fucking amazing,’ Shadow didn’t say. Instead, he just chuckled as if Sonic had made the joke of the year.

“It doesn’t matter,” the dark hedgehog looked at Sonic through the mirror.

“You loved it, didn’t you?” Sonic grinned knowingly and Shadow’s mouth curved in disgust. “Not gonna lie, best sex I’ve had in months.”

“Don’t get too happy, hedgehog. It won’t happen again,” he averted his eyes from the mirror as a toe played with the golden anklet around his ankle.

Sonic diverted his eyes from their reflection and faced Shadow, the one beside him.

“It would be nice if it did,” he gave Shadow the tiniest of smiles before turning his back to him.

Frowning, Shadow moved his head to regard his bedmate’s silhouette. He slowly approached Sonic, trying not to make any noise until he stopped right behind him. The black and red hedgehog carefully raised a hand to Sonic’s arm, but slowly recoiled it. He was having second thoughts about what he had in mind. Little did he know Sonic had been watching his movements from the corner of his eye, the massive mirror betraying Shadow’s attempt of furtiveness.

“’Is okay, man. No one has to know,” Sonic encouraged Shadow to touch him.

Feeling bold, Shadow caressed Sonic’s upper arm softly before leaving a kiss on his shoulder. Sonic’s mouth curved upwards, finding the situation unimaginable. He felt Shadow placing an arm around his waist, cuddling him from behind. With his nose buried on his rival’s neck, Shadow inhaled his characteristic smell, very different from what he was used to. He loved that scent. Sonic’s hand came to rest over his and he found himself smiling until he finally closed his eyes to fall into slumber.

Unbeknownst to Shadow, Sonic still had his eyes open, thumb stroking his knuckles tenderly. He had a strange impression that this wouldn’t be a one-time thing.

••• 

An unbearable smell of sausages, pepper and cheese spread out in the room.

‘Where the fuck am I?’ was Shadow’s first question after he wrinkled his nose and slowly opened his eyes, throwing an arm over his forehead. He grunted in irritation when he found out the source of the smell. A disgusting, stained paper bag on the nightstand next to him. The agent tried to sit down, hissing on his first attempt. He quickly decided against it, propping himself up on one elbow to grab the stinking bag, opening to inspect its contents.

Two chili dogs. He knew one person who was particularly fond of them.

There was no sign of his blue counterpart anywhere, Shadow concluded after scanning the room. Before he placed the fast-food paper wrap back on the nightstand, he saw a letter on the wooden surface. Putting the chili dogs aside, Shadow picked the paper and read its handwritten message. It seemed like Sonic was in a hurry, considering the number of grammatical errors and ink stains.

_Morning, dickhead.  
Sorry I left. Eggman attacked the city so I had to dip.  
You did a number on me, barely could stand.  
Loved our night. Kicking your ass isn’t as good as eating it, you know?  
I got you breakfast. Hope you like chili dogs.  
And if you don’t, at least they’ll make you think about me.  
I forgot to get your number so here’s mine.  
Call me next time you’re crazy!_

_Sonic_

_P.S. You’re cute when you’re sleeping, has Rouge ever told you that?  
Guess not. She’s blind as a bat._

Shadow couldn’t help but snort at the last sentence. Sonic was right: Rouge had never told him that and he was glad someone else did. The blue hedgehog was way more observant than he originally gave him credit for. Smiling, Shadow read the note again, placing it over his chest fur once he was done.

Sonic desired a rematch.

He wasn’t desperate to the point of calling Sonic. Yet, he felt like he owed him at least another round. Because of his successful night with his rival, Shadow was finally gathering the courage to fuck other men, no matter the species. One positive experience was all he needed to ultimately engage in his repressed desires. Besides, he had a lot of fun fucking Sonic, and he couldn’t wait to know what other men would feel like at his mercy.

Shadow looked at his reflection in the mirror, curtains letting in rays of sunlight, bathing his black and red body with a welcomed warmth. His muzzle was shining, even if he hadn’t taken a shower yet. Perhaps sex was indeed good for skin, like Rouge once informed him. Biting his lower lip, Shadow raised his legs slowly, bending them. His hands went to hold his knees as he fell into a familiar position. One he had been last night when Sonic first penetrated him.

He stared at his sheath and tailhole in the reflection and grinned. That was the view Sonic had of him. No wonder he fucked him so good, he looked rather hot like that. Exposed, open and ready for anything like he had always been. Shadow had to admit the blue hedgehog had been brave enough to screw him to the point of leaving his body motionless. Sonic had some balls, ones he was definitely looking forward to get well acquainted with.

He couldn’t lie, he was curious to know _what else_ Sonic could do to him.

Dominance had always been Shadow’s forte. However, he was finding the idea of fighting Sonic over who tops who rather interesting. He wouldn’t mind being under him again, even if he considered the look of his rival’s face covered in his cum a fine piece of art. Sonic was right, he loved every second of their night, especially when he punched him in the face before they started making out. Once again, Shadow had to agree with the blue hero.

He was definitely going to think about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the rest is history, my friends. Personally, I feel like I could say I gave the gays everything they wanted in this act: drama, sex, brooding and tenderness. Maybe it was too much, maybe it wasn’t. You tell me. Now back to the story, two rivals having different takes on the same situation is really irritating, isn’t it? Still, that’s what makes things interesting. I couldn’t pass the opportunity to write Sonic and Shadow having a pointless argument like they always do. And guess what? It turns out they both got what they wanted in the end. Good for them.
> 
> I’m curious to know your thoughts on this act in particular. There was a lot going on in that motel room. Many secrets and revelations were left unsaid between them. Did you catch all the references? Just a little trivia: I nicknamed this act as Hot N Cold in reference to Katy Perry’s song of the same name. Mostly because of the use of different types of lubricant, I must say. Nothing out of the ordinary.
> 
> Question time! Do you think Shadow had sexual fantasies about Sonic before this story’s events? He seemed awfully calm after coming up with a particularly hot scenario back in Casinopolis, don’t you think? Also, Sonic has used a Double Down strategy during many points in this story as a whole. Can you guess which scenes these were? There aren’t right or wrong answers as this work is based on many other gambling strategies too, so let your mind wander!
> 
> As always, you can message me on Tumblr (self-titled blog or @galsgeneration, where I make Sonic Boom gifs) or on Twitter (ask for my user privately!) if you want to know more about my thoughts on these characters or just talk to me in private. I really appreciate kudos, bookmarks and comments! See you next time. XOXO, katypery.


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